Little Wonders
by kloi21
Summary: A series of T/K short stories
1. Wonder 1: Beauty And Her Beast Part 1

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing**_

_***A while ago I asked for help with my latest story, I needed ideas of anything Tommy/Kim that you had wondered about over the years. Things that were mentioned and we never saw, more realistic reactions to things we did see or just 'I wonder what would have happened if…' **_

_**Any ways, this is wonder 1, suggested by Hewhoreaps. He wondered about Tommys reaction when he found out Zedd tried to make Kim his queen. I didn't intend to re-write the entire story but I guess I got carried away, it's probably not what he had in mind but I hope you all enjoy it anyways. All other suggestions will be gratefully received via private msg x**_

_**WONDER 1- Beauty And Her Beast (Part 1 )**_

**ZEDDS MYSTICAL DIMENSION**

My eyes flutter open

It takes a moment or two but my cloudy vision finally clears and the fog evaporates from my confused mind

I don't know where I am but there's a terrible darkness tugging at my memory, and panic quickly wraps its self around me as I feel my throat constrict with fear

Where am I?

My hands make contact with the cold stone floor and the pain that rips through it tells me I'm injured, I don't know how badly, or how it happened, all I know is I have to get out of here!

I squint my eyes in an attempt to see through the darkness that surrounds me, I think I can see a light, far away in the distance, it's flickering…almost like a candle on the horizon and I know I have to get to it

Bracing myself once more for the pain I know will follow, I place both hands onto the coldness beneath me and attempt to push myself to my feet.

It takes a couple of tries but eventually I'm vertical and nausea is rushing towards me and as it hits me head on it almost knocks me off my feet.

White lights swirl around me and I find myself leaning backwards against a wall I wasn't even aware was there.

Minutes pass by, and eventually so does the nausea, feeling brave I open my eyes and taking my injured hand in the other I feel the stickiness of blood and again the panic finds me and threatens to consume me.

I want to scream, I want someone to hear me and rush to my rescue but I know that if I scream out the only person that will come for me is the person that has done this to me

My morpher and communicator are gone, there's no easy escape and no way of calling for help… suddenly I realise that's what he wants, me cut off from my friends and unable to escape, I don't know what his plans are this time but something tells me I'm about to have a starring role.

Strong arms wrap themselves around my memory and a musky scent floods my senses. I feel the brush of long hair against my cheek and for an instant I feel safe again, safe in the way only one man makes me feel… but he's gone. He wont know what's happened. Tears scold my eyes as I realise that this time he won't be coming for me

Okay, I have to focus, I don't know how long I have so I have got to make my move _**now**_

Lifting one aching leg, I attempt to move forward but my knee gives way immediately, causing me to crash back down on to the ground

Everything hurts….

My surroundings are shrouded in darkness …

My tears are coating my face in a mask of hopelessness

I'm sure my pathetic display of weakness is being witnessed by the one person I can't risk seeing it

I'm the person that was supposed to be the protector, but on my knees in this stone prison I am the person in need of protection…

The power is gone and the only thing left is me

**A CABIN BY THE LAKE**

Wrapping the white towel around me, I pant as I try to regain my breath and I'm pleased that no one is around to witness that I'm not as fit as I thought I was

To be honest, swimming has never really been my thing, but here in the wilderness that has become my home, I'm attempting to rebuild myself and physical exercise of any kind gives me time to think and reassess

Sitting heavily down onto the sand a feeling sweeps over me, I'm not sure what it is but it's unlike anything I've ever felt before

I wrap the towel tightly around my shoulders as the coldness that has just scraped it's finger nails down my soul begins to slip away leaving only an unreasonable sense of panic and uneasiness

A face I haven't seen in weeks fills my mind

A sweet perfume that was once the air that I breathed is wrapping its self around my soul and as the hot sun burns at my skin a dark fear is burning at my mind

A long time ago… a lifetime ago I used to feel her near me- like this, even when she wasn't.

I feel her romantic whispers kissing my ears and I'm just about to push myself to my feet when I'm suddenly aware of someone running across the sand towards me

The expectation that it's her is completely ridiculous and yet I can't help but feel it

Spinning around I'm not surprised to find that it isn't

"Tommy!"

Jason- my best friend, is standing before me. I go to smile him a greeting but the deathly paleness that paints his normally tanned face causes the cold scratching in my soul to resume

"Kimberly…" My voice sounds as though it belongs to someone else and Jasons movements become slow and heavy, almost as though he's moving under water.

I'm aware of his hands on my shoulders

He's talking but I can't make sense of what he's saying

Jasons eyes are red as he tries to explain but nothing is penetrating my brain

He's pulling me across the sand as I stare at him but never really see him

"Tommy, we have to go… Tommy come on!"

My name sounds funny as it flies from his throat and hits my ears and I almost want to laugh, but the words that follow cause me to regain control of my senses

"We have to get back to Angel Grove"

"I can't go back there"

"You have to, Kim's in trouble and Zordon has requested that you come back with me, he says we might need your help to get her back"

I stutter to speak, I want to tell him there's nothing I can do- I don't have any powers, but my mouth hangs open in shock as I finally begin to move on my own

I try to tell him that I'll be more of a hindrance than a help but my legs are pumping as I move at speed across the sand

I'm still trying to tell him that I don't know what I can do to help as I throw myself into the passenger seat of his car and buckle up but then I realise that none of my protests mean anything

Kimberly is in danger…

Ranger or not she's still my heart and Zedd will have to kill me before I will let him have her

**THE POWER CHAMBER**

Looking around the power chamber I realise that I don't belong here anymore.

Too much has happened, there's too much that I can't forget.

The terrible memories from my days in green haunt me every second of every day but here… _**here**_ they seem so much worse and I know why, it's because here is where I did the real damage.

I hurt every one of the people standing around me and no matter how much they say I made up for my mistakes when I joined the team, I just don't seem to be able to convince myself that it's true.

The command centre is meant only for the good… not for the likes of me.

"Tommy, it is good to have you back with us"

I know Zordon means it but I can barely bring myself to look at him, shame eats me up when I remember what I did to him… the things I said.

He forgave me a long time along, I just wish I had his strength for forgiveness

"Zordon, have you found Kimberly?"

The looks on the faces of everyone around me tells me there's more to this than Jason has told me and when Zach places a trembling hand onto my shoulder I know something is terribly wrong

"Zach? Zordon? What's going on?"

"Tommy, we have located Kimberly"

Zordons voice sounds way more serious than I wanted to hear it

"So what's going on, why haven't you guys gone for her?"

And my voice sounds way more panicked than I wanted the others to hear

"Kim's a Ranger, Rangers get kidnapped all of the time, believe me I should know. We go in, we get her back and then we go for shakes at Ernies, that's what we do, why aren't we doing that?"

I'm babbling, I can hear it but I can't stop it and this time it's Jasons hand on my shoulder as he informs me that it's not going to be that easy

I try to force down my temper as I struggle to work out why these guys haven't morphed already and gone in and rescued Kim, if they leave it much longer she'll start to think they're not coming. The thought of Kim alone and scared fills my mind as my self-control begins to slip

"Well I'll make it that easy"

Temper and panic are now in control of me and I know I probably sound like an ass hole but I want Kim back, and I want her back now!

"Teleport me in Zordon, powers or not I'll get her out of there"

"Tommy, I'm afraid Jason was right, this time Zedd has taken Kimberly to a dimension beyond our reach"

"They're always beyond our reach, but you guys will find a way in- you always do"

"Tommy.."

Trini fixes me with a serious look and I don't know what she's going to say but I know I'm not going to like it

"We're trying to find a way in but that might not be our only problem"

"Okay, okay, you guys need to stop telling me bits and pieces of this story, I want the full version and I want it now otherwise I will walk out of here and I wont stop walking until I've found Zedd and thoroughly kicked his ass"

The story I'm told is far worse and far more appalling than I ever imagined.

Goldar had snatched Kimberly when she was at her lowest point and in search of reassurance, nobody mentioned my name but I know my disappearance must have hurt her, I meant to call, but I just didn't know what to say…

He'd taken her to some far off dimension, Zordon had quickly located her signal but all attempts to reach her, or find a way in to rescue her had so far failed although Billy was still searching.

During their attempts Zordon had stumbled upon an ancient prophecy, it foretold of a protector of the power being taken and held in a mystical dimension, stripped of her morpher and communicator she would be put beyond reach of her team and then a spell would be cast, it would remove all memories of who she was and fill her head with new memories… she would be made to believe that she was the wife of Lord Zedd and she would join forces with him in an attempt to bring down the Power Rangers

Zordon didn't know how much of the prophecy had come to pass, and now, all we know is Kim is out there somewhere and if we don't get to her we could lose her… for good!

"Zordon, the prophecy talks about the other 4 rangers fighting to rescue her… how do I fit in?"

"Tommy, if Zedds spell is successful, and _**if **_we can get to the dimension where Kimberly is being held, we can't use force"

"We can't hurt Kimberly"

Trinis voice holds the fear that each one of us has in our hearts

"The prophecy states that the only way to break the spell is by forcing 'The Queen' to remember her life before"

"But how? You said she would be stripped of her memories"

For the first time since I arrived, Billy turns around from the control panel that he and Alpha have been working on and speaks with the most serious voice I have ever heard him use

"We will have to fight memories with memories Tommy, it's just possible that the voice of someone she loves can break through Zedds spell… that's where you come in"

"And if it doesn't work?"

My heart beat quickens as I await Billys answer, I know it's going to be bad

"Then we have lost Kimberly forever, we will no longer be fighting just Lord Zedd, we'll be fighting one of our own and either Kimberly or the Power Rangers will be destroyed"

I didn't realise it was going to be that bad…

_***Something slightly different from me. Although this 'wonder' is quite dark some of them will be written more light heartedly oh and don't ask me how this morphed into a Beauty And The Beast/King For The Day cross over because I don't know- where the story leads, I follow x**_

_***This is a two part story**_


	2. Wonder 1: Beauty And Her Beast Part 2

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing**_

_***Once again, any other 'wonders' will be gratefully received via private msg**_

_***This is a 'wonder' from the mind of Hewhoreaps, what would Tommys reaction be to Lord Zedd trying to make Kim his wife in the episode 'Beauty And The Beast'. I hope you enjoy this final part**_

**Beauty And Her Beast (Part 2)**

"Hail Queen Kim! Hail Queen Kim!"

The voices are getting closer, but the large hand that is wrapped tightly around my wrist yanks me forward before the meaning of the words have time to sink in

"Goldar, let me go!"

My voice comes out as a strangled scream, as the hand of fear wraps its self tightly around my throat

"There's no point in fighting me _**Kimmie, **_the Green Ranger is gone and it looks as though your friends have decided not to show up, that means it's just you and me"

He smells like a wet, stinky dog as he pulls me close to him and then laughs in my face

"Don't worry you pathetic pink parasite, it'll only hurt for a minute and then all you will remember is us and all you will loathe is your multi-coloured friends"

His diabolical laugh rings out through the cave and echoes back at me off the walls

"You can't do this Goldar, Tommy might not be around but my friends will come for me!"

As he takes a step back away without ever letting go of my wrist I see a confidence in his red eyes that I have never witnessed before, like for some reason he _**knows **_that this is going to work, whatever _**this**_ is…

"You can't do this…" My voice is completely vacant of the confidence and sarcasm that has always laced it during my verbal altercations with Goldar, this time I sound as scared as I feel and what's worse… he knows it.

Pointing his staff at me, I feel his grip loosen as he snarls

"It's already done"

And then the nightmare begins.

It feels as though liquid fire is coursing through my veins, everything is blurry, the cave around me is spinning and all I can hear is Goldars laugh

I crumple to my knees and attempt to call out but no sound comes. Kneeling on all fours in the dark cave that is my prison I see my life flashing before my eyes, just frozen… soundless images gliding past my eyes and then disappearing from my mind

My mum…

My dad…

I want to cry as I feel them slip from my thoughts but I feel frozen, no part of me will work, only my terrified mind ticks on

I see Trini and the guys, I see Zordon and I feel the power that he gave us waging a war inside me with the darkness that Goldar has infected me with…

And then I see Tommy, just as I saw him that very first day at the youth centre, tall and proud… my mind attempts to grab hold of his image but he's slipping away, I want to scream and cry for what the darkness is taking from me but it's too late.

As I kneel on all fours in this darkened cave I look up at my three servants and wonder what I ever wanted to scream, cry and show weakness over in the first place

**THE COMMAND CENTRE **

Staring into the viewing globe I wonder why I am continuously made to suffer

I was never a bad kid, sure I was a little hyperactive sometimes but I always went to school, I always did my homework and I was always respectful to my parents… so how come life has taken me down this darkened path?

I don't know why Rita chose me and I don't know why I was so easily controlled and manipulated, all I know is when she filled me with evil and sent me to do her evil work she was condemning me to a life time of guilt and regret

If I hadn't have been such a good kid, maybe I wouldn't have cared so much. Maybe I could have done good and truly seen it as me making amends, but I can't. The damage has been done and everything that happens now is just a continuance of the punishment I seem to believe I deserve… but Kimberly doesn't deserve this

5 minutes ago Billy finally located the dimension that Zedd was holding Kim in, 2 minutes ago the team teleported in, and ever since then I've been stood here, watching the viewing globe, tortured by fears of what is happening and silently beating myself for not being able to do anything to help

She's _**my**_ girlfriend, _**my **_responsibility but as some form of sick punishment I am being made to watch from the sidelines whilst _**my**_ team fight for _**my **_girlfriends life. If I could get my hands on Lord Zedd right now, powers or no powers he would be sleeping six feet under tonight

"Zordon, why can't we see Kim yet?"

I keep my back to him, never able to tear my eyes away from the images of my friends… The Power Rangers, taking on wave after wave of putties. Zedd must really want to keep them out and dread seeps through my body as I consider the reason he would want so desperately to do that

'They're too late'

The words resonate through my entire body and before anyone ever confirms it, I know it's true as I feel my connection to Kim slowly disappearing

"Zordon, I can't feel Kimberly…"

His silence tells me all I need to know and I drop down onto the steps that lead to the viewing globe and bury my head in my hands

"You must have faith Tommy"

How do I tell Zordon that my faith in things turning out okay died a long time ago?

Suddenly I'm on my feet again as Alpha calls out Jasons name. He's made it past the putties and is now disappearing into the cave and I'm on the verge of telling Zordon to teleport me in, I know I can help him, we can get to Kim in time… the image that fills the viewing globe next tells me that time has definitely run out

"…Kimberly"

I can't believe what I'm seeing.

Is it really _**my**_ Kimberly? Her beautiful face tells me it is but her eyes… her clothes…

A hand unconsciously covers my mouth as Jason rushes towards her, he reaches out a hand, offering her the chance to escape but she simply slaps it away

"The prophecy…"

Alphas voice mirrors the terror in my heart

**ZEDDS MYSTICAL DIMENSION**

Stepping out from behind the gold monkey I stare at one of my most hated enemies

"Ranger!"

I spit the word at him and then hold out my staff as I prepare for battle. My husband and I have been at war with the protectors of the power for centuries. This red one… is my newest fascination

Will he surrender quickly, or will he put up the fight that I hope he will?

In the past 'Reds' have always fought the hardest, their demise has always been the sweetest, I hope I can make this one beg for his life like so many before him have…

"Kimberly…"

He speaks a word that I don't recognise and then holds out a hand in my direction. Using my staff I slap it away before I command the gold monkey to kill him!

The battle is short, the monkey is unimpressive, 'Red quickly overpowers him and sends him crashing to the floor, and I'm just about to take matters into my own hands when 'Yellow' 'Black' and 'Blue' come rushing in, each of them yelling that strange 'Kim-ber-ly' word

The monkey is still on the floor as my other servants slowly begin backing away along the walls, I instruct them to fight to the death to protect me but they simply look at each other and then run

"GET BACK HERE!" I scream but they continue to disobey me, I will demand my husband make them into roaches for me later and then I will crush them myself!

"Okay Rangers, 4 against 1 and I will still beat you"

"Kimberly…" Yellow moves towards me slowly and I'm confused by the lack of aggression and violence.

We are sworn enemies, I have killed Rangers before them, they should be trembling in their multi-coloured boots and yet they aren't, instead they simply move closer to me, each of them repeating variations of the word I don't understand

"Kimberly!"

"Kim!"

They're forcing me backwards, surrounding me like a pack of wolves. I turn from one of them to the next but they keep coming. I hold out my staff and ask who wants to die first

'Red' attempts to take my weapon but I'm too quick. The force of the staff coming down onto his shoulder forces him to his knees and I laugh as loudly as I can. The other rangers rush to his side as 'Yellow' turns her attention back to me

"Kimberly, don't do this, you're one of us, don't let Zedd win"

I laugh again

"You're about to learn the lesson that has been taught to generations of Rangers before you 'Yellow'… my husband _**always **_wins"

"It's me, it's Trini!"

More words I don't recognise, perhaps these are Ranger words, a language designed to confuse me but she is again moving towards me

"I'm your best friend"

"You're delusional Ranger, you and I are enemies"

"Kim, it's a spell, please don't let them turn you against your friends"

She is just feet from me but is making no attempt to attack, I don't know what game this new team of Rangers are playing but it's one they will never win.

I raise my staff and then bring it thundering down but this 'Yellow' is quick and she rolls out of the way, fortunately I am quicker and I am soon by her, my boot connecting heavily with her shoulder. As she is thrown backwards 'Red' is on his feet again and grabbing hold of my weapon

We pull it back and forth between ourselves but he proves too strong and as soon as the staff is taken from me 'Black' and 'Blue' are at my sides, each of them taking hold of an arm

I scream for my husband… but he doesn't come

"ZEDD GETDOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

'Red' grabs my shoulders as the other two tighten their grip on me. His deep voice is attempting to connect with me in some way but all I feel is the hatred that has coursed through me for centuries. These Rangers, these goody-goodies, they have always been a thorn in my side, now this is my chance to destroy them all and for my husband and I to control the Earth as we always believed we would

"Kimberly, please try to fight this" Says 'Red'

"My husband will crush you all!"

"Kim, he isn't your husband… they put a spell on you"

"You have to remember Kimberly… please"

'Yellow stands behind 'Red' and touches his shoulder

"Jason, don't hurt her"

She is concerned about me… but I am her enemy…

Attempting to break free I scream for my husband again, my voice ripping through the confusion of this entire situation

"Enemies! I demand you let me go!" I hiss

"No Kim… _**friends**_" says 'Black' in a more gentle tone than I have ever heard from a Ranger

My mind is fuzzy with confusion, everything I know is being brought into question and my husband is nowhere to protect me. In a frenzy I pull and push to break free, screaming for my husband the whole time

**THE COMMAND CENTRE**

"Zordon, you have to teleport me in!"

Staring up at him I can see the concern that is coating his face. Kimberly is like a daughter to him, they share a bond that the rest of don't and I know exactly how he feels, being stuck on the outside, unable to do anything to help

"Tommy, perhaps we should wait and see if the Rangers can turn this situation around on their own. Seeing Kimberly in this state I am reluctant to let you go in there completely unprotected"

"I can't just stand back and watch this! Billy said if the spell worked that we would need to fight her new memories with her old memories and only the voice of someone she loves will do that. It's the reason you brought me back here isn't it, so just let me go down there and help them!"

Just then Kimberlys scream rips through the command centre, I turn to the viewing globe and see all 4 Rangers attempting to hold her down as she thrashes around on the floor

"They're going to hurt her Zordon!" I yell "Teleport me down there right now- before this goes too far. If she can see me… if she can hear my voice, I can break the spell Zordon, I'm sure of it!"

"And if you can't? Tommy, Kimberly can not be allowed to leave the mystical dimension in her current state"

My eyes drop to the floor as the true meaning of his words rings clear

"Either way she is going to need me. I won't fail her Zordon, she's too important"

It takes a second or two for Zordon to make his decision, but in the end we both know there is no decision to be made

"Alpha, teleport Tommy in"

"Right away Zordon"

Reaching over I place a hand on Alphas shoulder

"Alpha, I'm bringing Kimberly home"

"Be careful Tommy…"

I feel the familiar vibrations of teleportation and as the light rips through me I hear Zordons voice, deeper and more emotion filled than I have ever heard it

"May the power protect you all"

**ZEDDS MYSTICAL DIMENSION**

"ZEDD, GET DOWN HERE RIGHT NOW!"

I struggle against my attackers but they're too strong. I know they could have killed me by now, but they've made no attempts to and I just can't understand why- I would have killed them in a heart beat

"What do you want with me?!"

"We want to help you" Says 'Red' "Kimberly, I know you have all of these memories and it must be hard to believe this, but they aren't real. It's a spell designed by Lord Zedd to try and turn you against us. His wife… his real wife was banished, he is trying to use you as a replacement… we can help you but you have to let us"

Lies, it's all lies, I know who I am. I am The Queen, sworn enemy of the Power Rangers and my husband is the all powerful Lord Zedd

"Your mind games will not work on me Ranger, once my husband knows that you have me he will come for me and there will be no peace on earth until he has me back and every one of you is dead"

I resume thrashing about in my bid to escape and I'm just about to scream out in frustration when a new voice appears from behind my captors

"Guys!"

I feel their grips loosen slightly as they recognise the gatecrasher and are apparently glad to see him

"Guys I'm here, don't hurt her"

My brow crinkles in confusion as I observe the human running towards us

He's tall, and wearing only a pair of cream shorts and a white wife beater, I feel something immediately but I'm unsure what. Who is this intruder, he definitely doesn't look like a Power Ranger

"Tommy, she's completely out of it" says 'Black'

"Yeah, she doesn't remember anything" Blue informs him as he releases his grip to talk to the human and I see my chance to escape. As I quickly twist myself free from their weakened grips I almost stumble over the still unconscious form of the monkey and I give him a sharp kick to the ribs before running through the darkness of the cave that is my dimensional home

"Kimberly, no!"

The word is spoken again, only this time by the human and for some reason it sounds familiar, unable to stop myself I turn my head and glance behind me. The human is running towards me whilst the Rangers stand at the entrance of the cave watching on with what can only be described as 'concern'

… For me?

…Why?

I don't know whether it was confusion or that pesky human but something distracted me long enough to cause me to lose my footing and in a second I'm sprawled on the floor. Pain shoots through my knees as I turn around to face my oncoming attacker

"Kimberly!"

The human moves closer but I hold out my hand as a warning

"Don't come any closer or I will squash you like a bug!"

He stops moving

"…Kim"

"KEEP BACK!"

" I'm not going to hurt you, I just want to help you"

I throw my head back and my laughter echoes the length of the cave. My confidence is bolstered by the sight of the gold monkey beginning to come around

"_**You're**_ going to help _**me**_? … I think you'll find that it is _**you**_ that is in need of help human"

"Kim…" He begins to crouch down and I shuffle backwards slightly

"What is this _**'Kim' **_word you use?"

"It's you. You're Kimberly. I know this is all really confusing but it's because of a spell…"

"Mind games…"

He looks at me with his deep brown eyes and that feeling I had the moment I saw him is back. Something flickers in both my chest and my head and I find myself unable to look away

"Don't you recognise me?"

"I've never seen you before in my life"

"It's me…" he's now crouched down before me and I don't know why but I have no desire to kill him

"It's me… Tommy"

Something rips through my memory but it's gone before I can make sense of it

"Kimberly, I can help you…"

I feel a familiarity in his voice that isn't possible, but I see the monkey slowly rising to his feet behind the Rangers that seem too concerned with myself and the human to notice. He will attack them shortly and allow me the opportunity to escape and when I get back to my husband he is never going to hear the end of how he left me with 3 imbeciles to face the most messed up group of Rangers that we've ever encountered. Using mind games as warfare is just plain weird!

Unfortunately the human follows my line of vision and before the monkey has the chance to attack he calls out a warning to the Rangers.

As a battle rages at the entrance to the cave I take the opportunity to spring to my feet and attempt another escape but the human is fast and within seconds his hand is wrapped tightly around my wrist as he pulls me around to face him

"Kimberly…" The word echoes through my mind, summoning something that seems buried beneath the weight of time

"I AM THE QUEEN!"

"Your name is Kimberly Hart! you're the Pink Power Ranger! Those guys out there are your team!"

"Lord Zedd is _**my team" **_I attempt to break free of his grip but he tightens it

"We are your friends Kimberly, you have to remember, if you don't…"

"For centuries I have waged a war against all that is good and righteous"

"No, they're false memories. Kim you fight for what is good, please try and look past what they're forcing you to see… see_** me**_. Come on Kim please. We need you… _**I**_ need you"

The flickering is back in my head, it's like images being played at super speed and I can't focus on any of them or make sense of anything

"Kim, close your eyes"

"You're trying to trick me, I don't know who you are but you want me dead"

The sadness that fills his eyes touches me

"I would never do anything to hurt you… you know that"

An images catches in my mind, for just a split second but I see him… and me

"Please…close your eyes Kim"

I don't know why but it feels like I don't have the choice to disobey him and my eyelids slowly slip down to obscure my vision.

I feel his grip loosen and slip from my wrist to my hand, his fingers tangle themselves with mine and I allow them to. In the background I can hear the battle drawing to an end but I stand perfectly still as _**'Tommy' **_smoothes his thumb over the back of my hand

"Your name is Kimberly Hart, you're the Pink Ranger… just relax okay, try and remember."

A light flicks on in my brain but darkness replaces it almost immediately

"You fight under the guidance of your leader Zordon"

"Zordon…"

It escapes my lips as though he means something to me but then a hate that I am familiar with fills me

"He is my enemy!"

"He's like a father to you…"

"And _**you**_, what are _**you**_ to _**me**_?"

I fight the urge to open my eyes, I want to see his eyes as he tells me but I see a shadow appearing on the horizon of my memory.

His words replay over and over in my mind.

I am the Pink Ranger…

I am Kimberly…

My memories are the result of a spell…

It can't be the truth!

But if it's not then how do I explain the strange flickering that been growing stronger ever since he turned up here?

I repeat his words as though trying to summon forth the shadow that is lurking just on the edges of my memory

I am Kimberly Hart…

I am the Pink Ranger …

The shadow moves closer but suddenly I'm aware of somebody else moving closer, I keep my eyes tightly closed as I feel the strange human that has tied my reality in knots raise his hand to touch my face. In my mind I hear my husbands voice tearing through my consciousness. Demanding I bring the Rangers to their knees but I find my self unable to move.

I am Kimberly Hart…

I am the Pink Ranger…

A heat burns through me as I feel his lips brush my own, my breath catches in my chest as the shadows in my mind explode into multi colours and come hurtling towards me.

Pulling away I gasp for breath as I fall free of his grip and find myself pressed against the wall

"GUYS!"

I spin around and see Tommy staring at me, his eyes, massive pools of concern, we're both ripped from our trance by Jason and the others entering the cave

"Zedd just sent down a monster he made out of Kims mirror, we have to move now"

Everyone's eyes are on me but Trini speaks first

"Kimberly…?"

My eyes drop down as I observe for the first time what I am dressed in. A scream rips from my lungs and the others all jump into position…ready to defend themselves against me. Tommy steps forward and fixes me with a look of concern

"Kim?"

Tears sting my eyes as I look up at him

"Look what he dressed me in Tommy!"

My friends dissolve into fits of laughter, but not for long

"We have a fight out there waiting for us" Jason holds his hand out and offers me my communicator and morpher "Are you with us Kim?"

I wink up at him and reply "Always" and as we begin to run from the cave I look back at Tommy

"Will you wait for me at the Command Centre?"

His smile tells me that he will and then he disappears in a beam of bright light, the fact that it isn't green hurting me as I know it hurts him

"Isn't there something you're forgetting?"

I look at Zach in confusion and then it suddenly hits me. Grinning I hold out my morpher and yell

"IT'S MORPHING TIME!"

**THE ROOF OF THE COMMAND CENTRE**

Looking at Kimberly a million things are going through my mind.

I want to hold her, tell her how scared I was and how glad I am that she is okay but like always I'm too afraid of rejection to make the first move. I also want to apologise to her for not keeping in touch more but as I walk up behind her she looks so small and fragile all I can do is blush in shame. She needed me today and I was so busy licking my own wounds that I wasn't there

Sensing my presence she turns around and gives me one of the smiles that melt my heart. She lowers her eyebrows in concern as she asks me how I am and it's typical Kim, always thinking about everyone but herself

"Shouldn't I be asking you that? You had a hell of a day"

"A hell of a day? Tommy I've had a hell of a week"

I nod knowingly. My disappearance has hurt her, I see it in her eyes and I can't believe that I've done the one thing that I swore I would never do and that's hurt Kimberly

"Sorry I didn't call or write more often" She just shrugs it off, like she's accepted it of me and that hurts

"When Jason came for me today I was so scared, the thought of never seeing you again…"

"How do you think I've felt every day since you left?"

Shame tears at my insides, I have no excuse or explanations that will make any sense so I simply nod

"I don't know what I would have done if anything had happened to you. I don't think I realised just how much you meant to me until I was faced with losing you"

I know my honesty will shock her, beause up until this point I've always been guarded with my emotions, I guess I've been scared of putting it all out there in case I got hurt but in doing that I fear that I have caused Kim to doubt my feelings and that's one thing that she should never have to do. "I'm sorry… for everything"

"I'm sorry that you had to see me dressed like that" A smile caresses her lips and my heart glows 'pink'

"It doesn't matter how you dress, I'm always going to feel the same about you Kim, I'm sorry if you didn't know that before"

"You never really said that before…"

I sigh at how much of a jerk I've been

"I've been so wrapped up in myself lately that I guess there's a lot of things I haven't said"

Wrapping her arms around herself Kim looks up into the early evening sky

"Thank you for coming for me Tommy, I dread to think what would have happened if you hadn't"

"I just wish I'd been here in the first place"

"Can you believe I actually thought I was married to Lord Zedd"

She lets out an exaggerated shiver

"Totally gross!"

"Kim.." I place my hand on her shoulder and she turns and looks up at me, her eyes wide with expectation, I know what I'm going to say will hurt her, I just hope I find the right words to explain it in a way that she will understand. "I'm not coming back to Angel Grove right now"

Her eyes fill with tears and she pulls away and stands with her back to me but I plough on with my attempt at showing her my heart

"I'm not the man that can deal with everything yet, but I want to be and I'm going to be. I just want you to… look at me Kim, please, I want you to understand this"

I see her wipe her eyes with the back of her hand and I wonder how much more pain I can cause her before she turns her back on me forever

"Me not being around… it's an attempt to refocus myself after everything that's happened, but believe me, it has got nothing to do with us, or how I feel about you"

"So why are you pushing me away then?"

I raise my hand and use my thumb to wipe away her tears

"I don't mean to but… I don't want you to see me this weak, I want to be the guy that is there for you and protects you, I don't want to be the guy that falls apart in front of you"

"But I don't care about any of that, I just want you to be the guy that's with me Tommy, it's all I've ever wanted"

A smile that I have no control over spreads across my lips. Does she know how long I've waited to hear her say those words?

"This isn't forever, and as far as I'm concerned, nothing has changed between us, I still feel the same as I did before I left. If anything I fee more after today. Oh, and hey…"

I reach a hand to my back pocket and pull something free " I found this, I thought you might want it" The squeal she lets out as I hand her the blue mirror I won for her at a fair reassures me that Kimberly and I are going to make it through this

"Tommy, thank you so much, I thought I had lost this forever. It's really special to me, you know? It reminds me of some of the good times we had together before… everything"

I smile down at her as she slips her hand into mine

"I'll be back for school and I'd really like it if you uh…"

I want to ask her to wait for me but shyness is causing the words to catch in my throat

"If I didn't marry Lord Zedd in the meantime?"

We both laugh so hard we forget about everything that's happened and I pull her into my arms as naturally as I breath.

As I loop my arms around her waist she rests her hands on my arms and looks up at me with her beautiful caramel eyes

"Tommy can I ask you something?"

"You can ask me anything" I'm grinning like an idiot, I can feel it but I couldn't care less

"Were you uh… jealous today, of Zedd?"

My face falls flat and I see a look of concern in her eyes, but then my I lower my lips to her ear and whisper

"I'm jealous of any man that gets to marry you and isn't me"

The kiss she repays my compliment with will be relived every night that I'm away from her


	3. Wonder 2: The Kat Amongst The Pigeons P1

_**DISCLAIMER: I own nothing**_

_***A while ago I asked for help with my latest story, I needed ideas of anything Tommy/Kim that you had wondered about over the years. Things that were mentioned and we never saw, more realistic reactions to things we did see or just 'I wonder what would have happened if…' **_

_***This is 'wonder number 2', jps1926 wondered how the conversation between Kim and Tommy went after he and Katherine were kidnapped when he should have waiting for Kim in the youth centre during A Ranger Catastrophe. I'm kind of taking the long way around, because this story has developed into a tale of jealousy and self doubt. I will get to the actual conversation but I think there's a lot of fun to be had first although as usual it's probably not what was expected**_

_***This story has slightly more adult themes than my other stories (up until this point)**_

_***All other 'wonders' are gratefully received via p/m**_

_**---------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

**WONDER 2- The Kat amongst the pigeons (Part 1)**

'Siren song red… it worked last time!'

After applying the final coating and then throwing the lipstick back into her cream, satin make-up bag, Kimberly Hart smacked her lips together, fluffed her hair and then headed out of the small bathroom that she shared with her best friend Aisha Campbell.

The decision of Kimberlys mother to move to Paris to be with her fiancé a few weeks ago had come completely out of the blue and it had threatened to rip Kims teenage world apart at the seams- that is until the Campbells came to her rescue. Their offer to let Kim stay with them had been a lifeline she had grabbed with both hands.

Entering her small bedroom with white walls and pine furniture, Kimberly grimaced as she observed the vast array of clothing that now scattered the room.

Although she was sure that the figure hugging pink dress and pink high heels that she was wearing were the perfect outfit, it hadn't been an easy decision to make- because as dramatic as it may seem, she really felt as though her life depended on the outcome of today, therefore the clothes she was wearing weren't just an outfit, they were a statement of intent and the make-up? …She was classing it as war paint!

The wolf whistle that cut through the room alerted Kim to Aishas presence before she had even laid eyes on her friend and she grinned innocently as the woman dressed in blue denim shorts and a plain yellow t-shirt surveyed the full destruction of 'Hurricane Kim' .

"Kim, you look ridiculously hot, but did you have to kill your room to achieve the look?"

"Do you know that I have absolutely no clothes? I searched and searched for hours for something to wear but in the end I had to buy this new"

Again looking at the items of clothing that covered every visible surface Aisha nodded her head as she crossed her arms and feigned understanding

"So I see… you have absolutely nothing to wear, how do ever you manage to leave the house?"

Picking up a shirt from on top of her dresser, Kimberly returned it to its hanger and then placed it back in her nearly-empty wardrobe

"There, see? Tidy"

"So, for who's benefit is the 'man-eater' outfit?"

"Oh I don't know, maybe some random college kid I'm yet to meet, you know me (!)"

The rise of Kims eyebrows and the slight pout she wore told Aisha without doubt that in Kims world there was only one guy worth making this sort of effort for

"Okay so that was a silly question, but Tommy would think you were beautiful even if you wore a sack- why the big dress to impress?"

Carefully manoeuvring herself through the sea of fabric, Kim headed in the direction of her best friend

"I told you yesterday Aisha, I feel really guilty about not spending enough time with Tommy, and then when we almost lost him…"

Instinctively Aishas hand went to Kims slim shoulder as the brunettes face turned pale and tense as she recalled how close they had come to losing their leader the afternoon before, how close _she'd_ come to losing her boyfriend of almost 3 years.

The beat that her heart skipped at the very thought of it felt like an alarm bell ringing in her chest- 'lose him and I'll stop working all together'… and that is a warning! and as blond hair wrapped its self around her memory it only served to bolster her belief that today she had to lay claim to what was rightfully hers, in her heart she knew that she would go as far as it took.

"I can't lose him Aisha" Her voice came out quietly as the sound of Australia echoed through her mind, clinging to every memory of her boyfriend and whispering his name in her ears

Laughing, Aisha shook her head at the absurdity of the statement

"I mean it, I really feel as though I've been neglecting him and do not look at me like that"

"Like what?"

"Like you think I'm crazy, I know what the girls at school think about him, I hear their whispers every where we go"

"Yeah, okay, maybe that's true, Tommy is a really good looking guy, and he's nice… but Kim, you know what _he_ thinks about _you_"

Kimberly couldn't hold back the smile that parted her freshly painted lips. Aisha was right- as usual!

In their 3 years together Tommy had never given her even half a reason to doubt his commitment to her. After all, it had been _her_ that had been so caught up in her gymnastics that she barely had time to call him, let alone spend quality time with him, but that was what yesterday was supposed to be- a romantic interlude in their otherwise hectic lives.

The fact that he had instead spent the afternoon with some other woman glued to his side had kept Kim awake all night, providing her with plenty of time to formulate the plan that she was about to put into action

Smiling at Aisha, a mischievous look spread over her face

"Well now I'm going to show Tommy exactly what _I _think about _him_"

And with that Kim walked past her friend and exited the bombsite she was responsible for

"Kimberly…"

Aishas voice echoed down the hallway after her, and caused Kim to turn her head slightly although she didn't turn to face her concerned friend

"Tommy's a sweet guy… play nice okay?"

"Not today" was her whispered reply, but it was one Aisha missed and when she questioned it all she received was a hastily blown kiss as Kimberly disappeared down the stairs in search of her target

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**THE ANGEL GROVE YOUTH CENTRE**

Stepping into the building that was almost as familiar to her as her own home, Kimberly immediately questioned the path she had decided upon as all male heads turned in her direction

Their muttered approval of what she was wearing buoyed her confidence but at the same time it made her cheeks glow red

Kimberly Hart had never been the shy retiring type but the knowledge that today could turn out to be the biggest day of her life so far gave rise to a self-doubt that she was unaccustomed to

Looking towards the juice bar, Kim immediately sought out the kind face of Ernie for protection from prying eyes as well as some much needed reassurance, but instead she was met by the grinning face of Katherine Hillard and her appearance couldn't have been timed worse if she'd planned it

Making her way up the few steps that separated the juice bar from the gym, Kim felt her optimism being doused as memories of Katherine draped all over her boyfriend snaked their way under her skin and draped themselves over her self-esteem like a black veil.

"Hey Katherine" She attempted enthusiastic but knew immediately she had failed

"Kimberly, wow, you look out to impress"

Smiling somewhat nervously Kim eyed Katherines short denim shorts and clingy pink vest

"You too" She mumbled whilst thinking bitterly how unfair it was that Katherine would never need high heels to make her legs look longer

"So are you meeting someone here?" Asked the Australian beauty whilst picking up two glasses from the counter.

With her self-confidence beginning to crumble around her expensive new shoes Kim forced a smile into place before informing Katherine that she was looking for Tommy

"Oh he just went to get something from his car whilst I bought the drinks, but he should be back soon" And then whilst shaking the glasses right in Kims face "Apple and blackberry, apparently it's his favourite"

"Yeah…" mumbled Kim, annoyance and jealousy burning in her normally calm eyes "…It is. So, you guys are 'hanging out'?"

"He was working out when I got here and he was going at it pretty hard so I said I'd buy him a drink to help him to cool off, you can join us if you like"

Being invited to join her own boyfriend for drinks was not something that Kimberly appreciated but as she stared into Katherines blue eyes she attempted to cool her over reaction.

Kats face held an innocence that Kimberly just couldn't bring herself to trust, she was sure she hadn't imagined the looks Katherine had thrown Tommys way whilst walking in the park yesterday, or the way she'd giggled extra hard when he'd made a joke at Zedd and Ritas expense. Kim knew that giggle-it was the 'look at me, look at me' giggle and she'd been responsible for more than a few of them in her time… but that was before Tommy had karate kicked his way into her life and affections

Wrapping her bare arms around body, Kim tried to protect herself from the memories of Tommy and Katherine yesterday as well as the imagined images of what they'd been up to today and then looking down at her dress she wondered why she had ever thought this was a good idea in the first place

Whilst trying to fight her way free of her gloomy thoughts Kim didn't notice Ernie walking up behind her or the knowing smile that he wore, but as his arm wrapped around her shoulder Kim finally broke free of her dark thoughts and found it in herself to give him a sincere smile

"Kimberly…"

"Hey Ernie" She smiled brightly at the owner of the juice bar as he leant his head closer and whispered

"I think you have an admirer" and whilst using the arm that still lay over her shoulders he manoeuvred her so that she faced the entrance

The look that caused Tommys eyes to literally bug out of his head and his mouth to hang open more than made up for the 100 dollars Kimberly had paid for the outfit that was provoking such a reaction from the tall man dressed in the white pants of his karate gi and a tight white vest

"Wow…Kim…"

Giggling at her dumbfounded boyfriend, Kimberly did a little twirl before asking

"You don't think it's too much?"

"No" was his speedy response and then "I mean… no, it's great" His words were cooler this time as he began to regain the use of his bodily functions and headed up the stairs towards the two women that were waiting for him, one of whom he could not tear his eyes from and the other he barely noticed

The intensity of Tommys gaze as he closed the distance between them made Kims heart flip over in her chest as two things shone brightly in her mind- 1. The effort and destruction had been worth it and 2. The possibilities of today were endless if that look in Tommys eyes was anything to go by

"Oh Tommy here, I got your favourite" Even the sound of Katherine directly addressing him wasn't enough to break Tommy free of Kims spell as he reached for the drink without ever removing his eyes from the brunette in front of him, the one he had seen thousands of times before and dreamt of just as often but had never seen looking as beautiful as she did today, or as dangerous

"Should we take a seat?" Asked Kat, her voice betraying the jealousy that was pulsing through every inch of her body. She'd spent ages getting ready this morning, she'd even decided to wear pink in an effort to prove that 'anything Kim can wear, I can wear better' but when Tommy had spotted her as she entered the youth centre, his glance had been fleeting at best

"Tommy, would you like to sit down?" Kat asked again, this time making sure she excluded Kimberly from the question altogether

"I think you'd better sit him down before he falls down," Ernie laughed before heading across to a table that needed clearing

"Uh…sure" Tommy finally answered whilst pulling out a chair for Kim to sit on but she simply looked up at him, her caramel eyes full of mischief as she shook her head

"You first"

Any confusion that Tommy may have had about her reply was answered as soon as he took the seat and Katherine took the one opposite. He had been expecting Kim to take the seat next to him, in fact he had spent the few seconds before sitting down wondering how to move his seat as close to Kims as possible without making it too obvious, what he hadn't been expecting was for Kim to sit closer to him that she had ever dared to before, in public that is.

The feel of Kim lowering herself gently onto his lap whilst wrapping her arms around his neck caused a heat to surge through Tommy that was usually reserved for their 'private moments' only and the wolf whistles and yells of encouragement a few of the guys he knew from school let out only caused that heat to burn bright on his cheeks

Apparently Kimberly was feeling as dangerous as she looked and Tommy liked danger, yes sir, danger was definitely his 'thing'


	4. Wonder 2: The Kat Amongst The Pigeons P2

**DISCLAIMER: I OWN NOTHING**

_***A while ago I asked for help with my latest story, I needed ideas of anything Tommy/Kim that you had wondered about over the years. Things that were mentioned and we never saw, more realistic reactions to things we did see or just 'I wonder what would have happened if…' **_

_***This is 'wonder number 2', jps1926 wondered how the conversation between Kim and Tommy went after he and Katherine were kidnapped when he should have waiting for Kim in the youth centre during A Ranger Catastrophe. I'm kind of taking the long way around, because this story has developed into a tale of jealousy and self doubt. I will get to the actual conversation but I think there's a lot of fun to be had first although as usual it's probably not what was expected**_

_***This story has slightly more adult themes than my other stories (up until this point)**_

_***All other 'wonders' are gratefully received via p/m**_

_**--------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------**_

**THE KAT AMONGST THE PIGEONS****(Part 2)**

With his pulse racing, Tommy Oliver observed the beautiful brunette currently occupying his lap and wondered where the hell he was supposed to put his hands!

It wasn't like this was the first time he had found himself in this position with Kimberly, but usually there were fewer onlookers around… and more fabric.

Looking down at the tanned skin of Kimberlys thigh he felt the burn of blood and hoped the images of Bulk and Skull that he was currently filling his mind with would leave him with his reputation as a gentleman in tact.

Kimberly, for her part had noticed the sudden rigidness of her boyfriends posture and could now feel his heart hammering against her side. Smiling up at him, she couldn't help but to be proud of the reaction she had provoked in the coolest, calmest man she knew

"Are you okay?" She whispered whilst massaging his bare shoulder "You seem tense"

Tense, was more than a little bit of an understatement as just about every nerve ending in Tommys body sparked with electricity and blood scolded his heart as it pulsed through him

"I'm fine" He lied whilst he lifted his hands, struggled to find somewhere decent to put them and then gave up and returned them to his sides

"I don't bite you know" She whispered against his neck whilst motioning her head towards the arms that hung limply by his sides "Well… not unless you ask nicely" The wink that she finished the sentence on just about sent Tommy over the edge, but he was a leader, he knew how to keep calm even under immense pressure... or so he was franticly trying to tell himself

'Chill out man, don't make a fool of yourself, just stay calm. Remember your karate, breathe in, breath out, nice and slow... it's only Kim... you've seen her in a dress a hundred times before... not this kind of dress but you've seen her in some nice ones and you've never lost your head... don't do it now, not here!'

The sound of Katherine clearing her throat came as a welcomed reprieve to Tommy whose mental images were quickly slipping from humorous to amorous, and he could see it leading him into a whole world of trouble

"So, have you two been together long?" Asked Katherine sweetly, feigning interest whilst jealousy and fury pounded throughout her entire being. It wasn't supposed to be like this, Kimberly wasn't supposed to be here, this was supposed to be her time alone with Tommy- her attempt to show him what he was missing out on

'I can't believe she turned up here with her cute little dress and her cute little matching shoes and her cute little look at me, look at me smile!' Thought Kat, but her face never once betrayed the darkness that was now pouring into her soul courtesy of Rita

Kims unexpected appearance had served only to bolster Katherines belief that helping Rita to destroy the Power Rangers was the right thing to do. She would bring Tommy Oliver and his team crashing to their knees and then, when he was left with nothing- she would become his everything and together they would wave good bye to his precious 'Kimmie'

"Our 3 year anniversary is coming up shortly" Kim informed her whilst placing a soft kiss on Tommys cheek

"Wow, is it just me or is it really hot in here, someone should have a word with Ernie, get him to turn the heating system down" Said Tommy whilst grabbing his drink and gulping it down greedily

"Do you want another?" Kat asked whilst beginning to stand up, but her question went unheard as Tommy manoeuvred Kimberly from his lap and hurriedly found his feet and then his bag

"Kim, I'm going to go change and then how about we get out of here?" He was already backing away as he asked the question, half eyeing his escape route, half eyeing his girlfriend

"Sure, I'd like that"

"Katherine, thanks for the drink, I'll see you around okay?" and with that Tommy turned quickly, narrowly missing Ernie, who was carrying a tray of used glasses and plates and then ran as quickly as he could to the safety of the locker room and a long… cold shower.

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**THE CAMPBELLS RECIDENCY**

"Kim, are you sure Mr. and Mrs. Campbell wont mind me being here whilst they're out?"

Taking a seat on the only clear space he could find on Kimberlys bed, Tommy fiddled nervously with a button on the white shirt with thin green stripes that he now wore with a pair of light blue jeans. Raising his head he watched as his girlfriend searched frantically through the drawers of her dresser, his eyebrows knitting together as he tried to work out what she was so eager to find

"Tommy, you've been here a hundred times before. Just relax okay- I'm only going to be a minute or two, I know I put it in here" She replied whilst pausing long enough to spare him a glance before returning to her search

"Yeah but today feels different some how"

Again Kim paused to glance at him, only this time the look she wore was darker and it only served to confuse Tommy further

"Yeah, It does… doesn't it?"

Immediately Tommys eyes dropped back to the plastic button, he knew he wouldn't be winning any cool points for his behaviour today, Kim had him running scared and worst off all the naughty glances she kept throwing his way told him she knew it too. He was aware that he was probably risking his reputation as the guy who kept calm no matter what the circumstances but Kims behaviour was baffling him, that's not to say he wasn't enjoying it… in a weird sort of way, or excited about what it all meant but something had changed in her and it was beginning to worry the hell out of him

"Kim, is something wrong?"

"No. Everything's great, in fact, I have a feeling that things are just going to get better and better today… Ah! Found it!"

Spinning around, Kimberly beamed at her nervous looking boyfriend as she held a white bikini against herself. The fact that Tommys face turned as red as Rockys Ranger suit as his jaw hung slack simply caused her smile and her heart to grow.

Aisha was right when she said Tommy was a sweet guy, and Kim had known from the start that by suddenly upping the amount of physical contact between them she would have to break down a few of Tommys 'shy-guy' barriers, but seeing him so physically unprepared for the change in her behaviour only made her love him more. He really did love her for who she was and not for what she might give him and that only made her want to give him everything that she was to thank him for simply being him

"What do you think, yes or no? and you can be honest, just tell me if you hate it, I have plenty more, I went shopping this morning and I think I might have gone slightly OTT"

Tommys mouth moved slowly at first, but no words came forth, that is until suddenly he seemed to break free of his trance

"Hate it? Kim, it's beautiful… _**you'll**_ look beautiful… more beautiful- if that's possible"

"Tommy…" Kimberly hurriedly crossed the room and threw her arms around her boyfriend who was now blushing at his own words "You are so sweet"

"So are we ready to go?"

Tommy had been preparing to stand up because he was sure that the Campbells would be less than impressed to come home and find that Kimberly had a boy in her room, even if it was him, but unfortunately, as had been typical of today, Kimberly had other ideas

"We could hang out here for a while longer, the Campbells wont be back for hours and Aisha is at the animal shelter for the entire day" Her words were smooth and dark like molasses as she once again lowered herself into Tommys lap. Feeling more comfortable this time, due to the absence of prying eyes he wrapped his arms tightly around her

"I've been wanting to do that all day, do you know how amazing you look?"

Shrugging innocently, Kim replied

"It doesn't hurt to hear you say it" They shared a warm smile before Tommys kind words were rewarded with a soft, lingering kiss that quickly caused his mind to be shrouded in the dark desire that he had fought off so bravely at the youth centre

"What's going on with you today?"

"Me?"

Kim widened her eyes so as to fix Tommy with her most innocent gaze and assure him that she really had no idea what he was talking about… honest!

"I'm just feeling affectionate, that's not a crime is it?" She snuggled back against the warmth and safety of Tommys wide chest and observed the destruction she had caused

"It's just… we've been together for a while right?"

A nod was her only sign of agreement

"And everything's been going okay, we've been… 'progressing' at an okay pace, right?"

The awkwardness of Tommy words were evidence of a young man who was still uncomfortable with voicing his emotions but Kim simply smiled at the progress he had made during their time together as her fingers began running up and down the arm that was still wrapped protectively over her stomach whilst keeping her back to him the entire time

"Kimberly?"

"Everything's been perfect"

"_**Been**_?"

Teenage insecurities were beginning to nibble away at Tommys brain. Sure he wasn't the most experienced guy when it came to girls, in fact before Kim he had only dated one other girl seriously enough to call her his girlfriend, but it hadn't been anything like this… his relationship with Kim was special, everyone said so and he had known it from the very start.

For nearly 3 years he had thought that they were happy and on the same wave length about the speed their relationship was progressing at, but today he wasn't so sure… maybe he'd taken things **_too_** slowly, maybe he hadn't been affectionate enough, maybe he'd missed the desire in her for something more 'adult'

"Everything _**is**_ perfect"

"Are you sure? Because today…"

"_**You're**_ perfect, okay?" She didn't need to turn around to know that Tommy was grinning at that.

"Thanks. It's just… up until today I thought, we were doing everything right, you know? Moving at the right pace but today it's like I've woken up and time's been fast forwarded or something"

At that thought Tommys eyebrows suddenly shot north as a thought hit him that he should have considered long before now

"Kim…"

"Tommy, I'm not under a spell, so don't even ask it"

"Are you sure? Because you know, we can't always tell…"

"I can tell"

"So you don't want to see Zordon- just in case?"

Turning on his lap slightly, Kim looked into the only eyes in the world that had caused her breath to be taken away, and not just once, but every time she looked into them, even after all this time

"Look… I know I've been kind of preoccupied recently with my gymnastics but I just want you to know that nothing is as important to me as you are. That's what all this is about. It's not a spell, I just wanted to look pretty for you and I don't know… I just wanted to show you what you mean to me"

"Kim…"

"You probably think it's silly, I barely have time to say hi and then I throw on a fancy dress and think that makes everything is ok"

"Everything is okay. Kim, I just want you to be happy, you know that"

"Well do you know that I'm only truly happy when I'm with you?"

"Do you know that I feel the same?"

The kiss they shared was a silent confirmation that they were in fact on the same page where their feelings for each other and their relationship were concerned

"So should I try this one on? You know, just so we can be sure it's the right one" The mischievous look dancing in Kims eyes was beginning to entice Tommy to throw caution to the wind, follow her lead and see where they ended up.

"I guess it would be silly not to weigh up our options"

The darkness that coated his own voice came as a surprise to both teenagers, but the way Kim kissed him hard on his mouth before vacating his lap and returning to the drawer that Tommy now considered to be treasure trove, told him that his willing participation was exactly what she had been waiting for

"I have another white one and oh, you have to see this one" Turning to face him, Kim held a pale pink bikini with white hearts against herself "Perfect for us, huh?"

"Absolutely, hey I wonder if we'll see Katherine or the others at the lake"

If there had been a worse thing for Tommy to say at that exact moment, Kim couldn't think of it. Here she was, beginning her first ever attempt at seduction and all her intended 'target' could think about was meeting up with some other girl, and not just any other girl, _**the **_girl.

Dropping the clothing back into her drawer, Kim stood with her back to Tommy, whilst images of yesterday flooded her insecure mind. Closing the drawer softly, Kim took a breath before asking the questions she knew would change the course of the day, she just hoped they wouldn't change the course of her entire relationship

"So… Kat's nice huh?"

"Yeah she is" Tommy replied innocently as he began folding some of the clothes that littered Kims bed. His father had been in the military which meant neatness had been hammered into him from an early age and although his father was now retired and far more easy going the strictness of his early years was something that stuck firmly with him

"And pretty too, right?"

"I guess so"

Shaking her head, Kim turned to face Tommy whilst an unexplainable hurt and anger surged through her entire being

"You guess so Tommy?! You mean you don't know? It's not a difficult question, she's either pretty or she isn't"

Dropping a folded t-shirt onto the small pile he had accumulated, Tommy eyed his girlfriend with confusion, her entire body looked tense and the look on her face told him he'd said or done something wrong but he couldn't for the life of him think of what it was

"Are you okay?"

"Sure, why shouldn't I be?" Pulling the brightly coloured one piece swimming suit that she'd worn a hundred times before from her drawer, Kim slammed it shut

"Come on then, let's go"

"Kim.." Standing up and taking a few steps towards her Tommy couldn't hide the confusion that was clearly written all over his face "What have I said?"

"Nothing- forget it"

Kimberly couldn't believe that she was allowing jealousy to control her so easily, she was burning up with it and she couldn't have felt more ashamed of herself. Tommy didn't deserve this, he hadn't done anything to cause her to doubt him, but as anyone who had ever fought the green eyed monster will know, it's very rarely fair or rational

"No, you're obviously upset about something and since I'm the only other person here, I guess it's me that you're upset with so just tell me what I did"

"It's not you"

" Sure it is, one second everything's fine, the next everything's all weird"

"Well obviously it's going to be weird when you just admitted to your girlfriend that you found another girl attractive"

Stuffing his hands into his pockets Tommys face contorted in confusion

"What?"

"I asked you about Kat and you said she was pretty"

"You said she was pretty, I just agreed"

"So you admit it then?"

"Kim, what has this got to do with Katherine?"

"I don't know Tommy, you tell me, you're the one that thinks it's okay to walk out on me when we're supposed to be going on a date just so you can go driving with her"

Like a puzzle that only becomes clear as the last few pieces are slotted into place, things suddenly became a lot clearer to Tommy Oliver

"Is that what all of this is about?"

Huffing slightly, Kim wrapped her arms around herself and found herself unable to deny it. She would never be able to bring herself to lie to Tommy, she wasn't even going to try

"All of today has been about Katherine?" The hurt was evident on his voice "For these past two years we've been doing everything just right and today, you were willing to move things onto something else just because… what? You're jealous?"

"Is that such an alien concept to you Tommy? I'm 17 years old, yesterday I saw my boyfriend walk off with another girl whilst he should have been waiting for me. Then I saw him with the same tall, blond, beautiful girl draped all over him!"

"She was scared!"

"So was I!… I was scared I might lose you then and I'm scared of losing you now, so yes… I'm jealous okay, don't tell me that you don't know how that feels"

"I trust you"

"So you never get jealous?"

Of course Tommy knew that he couldn't admit the truth, that there was rarely a day that had passed since they first met when he hadn't been affected by the green eyed monster in one way or another, and after their recent encounter with Goldars 'stupid cupid' he should know better than anyone how powerful jealousy can be but he was too mad at Kim and her games to admit to anything, so crossing his arms over his chest he set his jaw and glared down at the brunette that was squirming beneath his gaze

"I never get jealous because I _**trust **_you"

"Not even of Skull when I thought I was in love with him instead of you?!"

Pushing that memory as far from his mind as possible, Tommy lowered his voice and forced as his words to come out calmly

"I don't get jealous because I trust you"

Slapping her hands onto her hips Kim tilted her chin up in defiance

"We'll see" she said whilst dropping the one piece back into her drawer

"What the hell does that mean?"

"We'll see" She repeated whilst pulling out the white bikini that had made Tommy drool so openly just a few minutes before "The mighty Tommy Oliver doesn't do jealousy? … we'll see"

**_*There's probably going to be another 1/2 chapters after this, and yes, one of them will eventually contain the conversation this wonder is based on_**


	5. Wonder 2: The Kat Amongst The Pigeons P3

_***It's been a while since I updated this, so I hope that this chapter is in fitting with the tone of the previous 2. In this one I really wanted to take all the 'super hero-ness' away and really show Kimberly just as a teenage girl with all the insecurities that teenage girls have. I have also tried to set the groundwork for why she would write the letter. I think it's plausible that when she moved away, without Tommy there to reassure her a lot of the insecurities she has in this chapter could have grown and caused her to 'attack before she was attacked' in other words 'dump- before she was dumped', just another theory to add to the list I guess and another possible story to write one day... maybe... or maybe not**_

_***Anyways, I'd just like to thank SYuuri for re-igniting my interest in this story and as always I own nowt x**_

**The Kat Amongst The Pigeons (Part 3) **

Flicking through a hanger of brightly coloured t-shirts that the sign assured her were 'Just In From

Milan', Kimberly Hart registered the feel of fabric in her hand but paid them no more attention than that… and that fact alone should have had her alarm bells ringing!

'Lilly- Ella's', Kimberly's favourite boutique, situated in the most exclusive section of the Angel Grove Mall and the one place that was always guaranteed to lift her spirits… that was until today and as the last t-shirt fell from her hand back to the hanger Kim tried to figure out how she had allowed things to get so out of control because this past week had been the most frustrating of her entire life and what made it worse was the fact she knew that it was all down to her own foolish games!

Kimberly could have screamed at her own stupidity, that's if her own stubbornness hadn't kicked in first causing her insides to tense up as she once again began to shift the blame for her current predicament away from herself and towards her _always_ sweet but _sometimes_ dense boyfriend

Why did men have to be so confusing?

More to the point, why did _her man_, the one she had _thought_ to be so perfect, have to be so confusing?

Tommys behaviour this week had been frustrating to say the least and it had left Kimberly confused and panicked about what it all meant, to them and to their relationship

"Kim what's wrong?" The concerned voice of her best friend quickly cut through her confusion and brought her crashing back into the real world but as had been the case so often recently, Kimberly struggled to find her voice as a sadness descended down on her

"Planet earth to planet Kimberly, This is Aisha calling, are you receiving me?"

"Very funny Aisha!"

Forcing a smile, Kimberly began navigating her way through the narrow aisles and as Aisha caught up neither girl confirmed their destination yet each of them knew that their shopping trip was over and for the first time in a very long time, they were leaving empty handed

"So are you going to tell me what's up, because I thought we were shopping… and I thought, you know, that meant buying lots of pretty things to take your mind off the weirdness between you and Tommy and yet I see no bags and Kimberly Hart… she always has bags" Aisha punctuated the sentence by planting her hands firmly on her hips and pursing her lips and just as she hoped, it received a warm, if not heart-felt giggle from Kimberly before her face fell serious once more

"Aisha, the only thing that's weird between Tommy and I… is Tommy!"

Exiting the store, Kimberly looked for a second as though she might head into 'The Foot Room' her favourite shoe shop, which was conveniently located just to the left of Lily-Ella's but then appeared to change her mind as she linked her arm through that of her best friend, and pulled them gently in the direction of the exit.

Pushing aside Aishas long braids Kim rested her head on her friends shoulder and then released a long, deep breath

"Aisha, remind me again why God made men"

"To give girls a reason to shop… oh that and something to do with the continued population of the human race, but that's just something I heard, it could just be a nasty rumour"

"Well if you ask me, anyone that wants to 'populate' with a man is crazy, I'd rather just grow old all by myself, buy a house at the end of the street with a couple hundred cats and then spend the rest of my days blissfully unaware that I smell of pee"

Pausing for a second, Aisha stared wide-eyed at her friend.

Was this really Kimberly Hart standing before her?

The Kimberly Hart that won't even leave the house if she is having a bad hair day?

The Kimberly Hart that just over a week ago decimated her entire bedroom whilst hunting for the perfect outfit to wear to seduce her already besotted boyfriend?

And now she was daydreaming about living alone with cats and smelling of pee?

What ever was going on between her and Tommy was obviously more serious than Aisha had thought.

Not that she actually knew what was going on, that seemed to be a secret that only Kim was in on and her details had been sketchy at best, generally they came in short, angry out bursts, and as for Tommy he had spent the previous week in an almost eternal state of confusion. Poor guy, 7 days of wondering what he had done and when he had done it and why he didn't know that he'd done it and was his memory really bad enough for him to have forgotten doing something to upset Kimberly, anyone else… yes, but _Kimberly?!_

"Kim, are you going to just tell me what Tommy has done or are you going to spend all day trying to freak me out? First you won't shop and now you want to smell of pee? Girl are you sure you're feeling okay?"

Giggling, the two girls once again began to manoeuvre their way through the sea of 'Saturday shoppers'

"I'm fine Aisha and Tommy hasn't done anything, yep, he's done big, fat nothing" Dropping her gaze to her feet, Kim replayed all of the times over the past week when she had waited for Tommy to do _something_, show _some_ kind of an emotion, give _some_ kind of a reaction but in the end all he had given her was silence… that and those huge puppy dog eyes that caused her heart to melt every time he used them on her, but his non-reaction had hurt her deeper than an over-reaction ever could have and as usual he didn't understand why and Kimberly just couldn't find it in herself to explain it to him

"So he did nothing? And that's a problem?"

"I just don't get why he has to be so level headed, you know? He always says and does the right things, he never over reacts or jumps to conclusions"

"But Kim, that's just Tommy, he's just not big on reacting, you always said you liked that about him, how he was always subtle and understated, how you always knew how he felt without him ever having to say it, what I don't get is why it's become a problem all of a sudden"

"It's a problem because I'm just not the same, I don't react the same way- you know? I see things… or hear things and I jump to conclusions, I get jealous and I hurt and because he doesn't, he just doesn't get it. He always seems to know just what's going on and how to react to it and I never do, unless you haven't realised Aisha, I _am_ big on reacting… or more _over_ reacting and I just end up feeling like such a fool in front of him an I don't ever want to be that"

Kimberlys grip tightened on her friends arm as she thought back to how she'd made such a fool of herself these last 7 days.

In the beginning it had started out as a challenge to herself, to provoke Tommy into proving that he was just a normal teenage boy who did get jealous, but as time had passed, that challenge had turned into an obsession because the less he reacted, the more outrageous her behaviour had become.

Kims cheeks burned bright as she and Aisha exited the mall and stepped into the mid-day sun before heading in the direction of Kimberlys car

"You know Kim, it's a pretty well known fact that guys and girls aren't actually from the same planet, in fact if you want to know the truth, I don't think we're even part of the same species"

"It's just… when Tommy is on the battlefield he is so passionate, I mean you've seen what he's like if one of the bad guys even looks at me the wrong way but off it…"

"Kim, Tommy just isn't a big 'show and tell' kind of guy, I mean you both love each other, that much is crystal clear but you just don't speak the same language, you speak 'girl' and he speaks 'guy' and worse still… Tommy speaks it really, really quietly. He's shy and protective of his feelings not like Rocky, Mr If-I-Feel-It-I'll-Scream it"

"I just want to know what's going on in his head sometimes…but after the way I've acted this week, I'm beginning to wonder if I even know what's going on in mine"

Walking past a large, empty window, Kimberly caught sight of her reflection and without realising what she was doing she gently disentangled herself from her friend, walked forward and stared at herself, the gloominess that had clouded her mind all day, moving down and tangling its self in her chest

Sighing deeply, Kim wrapped her arms around the waist of the pale pink dress she was wearing and was surprised at the sudden sting of tears.

Who was Kimberly Hart, and why had God seen fit to make her so average when put next to every other girl?

Kim knew it was one girl in particular that was causing this unusual drop in self-confidence but Tommys seeming indifference weighed heavy on her mind and it caused her to doubt everything she thought she knew about them

Running a hand over her hair, Kimberly heard her mothers words echo through her memory- 'mousy brown'- in other words neither brown nor blond, no darkness to provide her with an exotic mystery and no blond to give her that 'knock 'em dead' look that all guys loved… God how she missed her mum!

"Kimberly?"

Moving her hand down Kim ran a finger under each eye.

Mousy brown hair with light brown eyes… brown with brown… could she have been any more dull? Some how she doubted it

Not like Katherine, with her platinum blond locks and her incredibly blue eyes she was every guys dream girl and Kimberly couldn't help the jealousy that stung at her heart

Turning to the side Kimberly pushed herself up onto her toes, but even at full stretch, her legs remained 'short'

"Aisha I'm so small!"

"You're not small, you're… you're 'gymnast height' … worked out perfect for you huh?" Aisha grinned big, hoping to lift Kimberlys spirits but her friend simply lowered herself back to her normal height and continued to stare into the window of the abandoned convenience store

"But what if I didn't want to be a gymnast? What if I wanted to be a supermodel or… an air stewardess… what if I wanted choices… opportunities, what if I wanted to strut down catwalks all over the world or… or…?"

"Pour drinks at really high altitudes?"

"It's the possibility Aisha, not the 'doing'

Pulling her dress tight over her chest and then her hips Kimberly couldn't stop the solitary tear of self-pity that fell, who was she kidding? She would never be a supermodel, just like she would never be competition to a girl like Kat, if she decided she wanted Tommy then she would have him, there wasn't a thing a girl that looked like Kimberly could do about it

"Kim?" Aishas arm snaked over Kimberlys slim shoulders in concern "Kim, are you okay?"

"Aisha I look like a boy!" Stomping away, Kim angrily wiped her eyes with the back of her hand whilst heading in the direction of her car

"What?! Kimberly… Kim hold up" Pulling open the car door, Aisha dropped into the passenger seat and turned to gaze at the girl she thought of as a sister but who was now acting like a complete stranger

"Kim what are you talking about? Girl, every guy in school is crazy about you! Why would you say you look like a boy when you look like the exact opposite? Kimberly, you're beautiful… you know that"

Resting her head on the steering wheel, tears slid silently from beneath Kimberlys lids as a small sob escaped her chest

"Kimberly please talk to me, this lack of confidence really isn't like you"

"Oh Aisha I've been such a fool! I've acted like such a brat and now I don't know if Tommy will ever forgive me"

"Kim, Tommy loves you so much, everyone knows it, he just doesn't understand what's going on with you, he's not mad at you, he's confused"

"But I just can't…" Another sob escaped as Kim wiped her eyes angrily "I can't…"

"You can't what? Honey it's okay, just take a breath"

"I can't compete with her Aisha, I'm so boring and plain and small and I'm shaped like a boy and she's all tall and beautiful and…'womanly' and she wants Tommy I just know she does! Her blond is from a bottle right? Please tell me it's from a bottle "

"Kimberly, who are you talking about?" Aishas brow wrinkled as things finally began to make sense "Are you talking about Katherine?"

A small nod was Kimberlys only response

"Oh come on Kim, Katherine and Tommy are just friends"

"Everywhere he goes she's there!"

"Kimberly she's new, she doesn't know anyone, she's probably scared and lonely…"

"She's totally over the top and I can't bare it!!" Sitting up straight, Kimberly looked into her friends' eyes and for a split second she allowed Aisha to see the pain that this situation was truly causing her.

"I'm a power ranger Aisha, I shouldn't be thinking like this"

"You're also a teenage girl Kim and you've had a hell of a year"

Reaching out a hand, Aisha stroked Kims tear stained cheek

"Kimberly, Tommy only loves you. It doesn't matter who Katherine is, what she looks like or what she does, his feelings for you are never going to change and honey you know that. Just think of every time one of the girls from school asked him out or tried to make a move on him remember when the entire cheerleading squad asked him to the vice versa? He wasn't interested, not once, not for one second, all this insecurity and jealousy isn't like you Kim"

" I just can't help it… do you think I'm being ridiculous?"

"You know what I think it is? I really think you're working yourself too hard. Ever since your mum left you've been on over drive. You're up at 5 every morning, you barely have time for breakfast before you go running and then gymnastics, at school you're so busy studying you barely have breaks, I can't remember the last time we sat down and ate lunch together and after school it's hours of gym followed by hours of studying… you're burning yourself out. You're exhausted; you've lost far too much weight! Everyone has their breaking point Kim… maybe you've just reached yours"

Stroking her friends' hair, Aisha was thankful for the opportunity to finally share her concerns with Kimberly, they had been plaguing her for a while now but just as Kim opened her mouth to respond a familiar beep rang out through the car

"Zedd and Ritas terrible timing strikes again. Kim, are you going to be okay?" But before Aisha knew it Kim was up and out of the car.

Grabbing her morpher, Kimberly spared one look for witnesses and then said the words that would take her away from everything that had been tormenting her.

Katherine Hillard may have been everything that Kim had always dreamt of being but she would never be the Pink Ranger and that caused Kims heart to glow as pink as the light that had just engulfed her

Clutching her ribs, Kimberly stumbled backwards as the air exited her lungs in one sharp gasp.

The battle with Rito and the Tenga warriors had been raging for more than 10 minutes now and for some reason unknown to her, they seemed to be singling her out for special punishment.

Reaching out her arm she searched for a familiar figure but before she could cry out for help a Tenga warrior landed another agonising blow

Falling backwards stars burst through her vision as again Kims hand reached out to the man dressed in white, the man she knew to be her safety, but in this time of panic, she found that no words followed her actions.

4 minutes ago, Rito had launched an especially ferocious attack on Tommy causing the other rangers to run to his aid, unfortunately that had left Kimberly isolated and vulnerable. The rangers were now fighting the battle with their backs to the pink ranger and as she attempted to hold back the Tengas on her own she knew there was no way for them to know the trouble she was in… not unless she called out to them that is and right now, no matter the pain or the danger, she just couldn't bring herself to do it

Pulling the cloth of her ninja mask away from her face Kim fought to regain her breath. She had battled bravely but 6 against one was never going to work out in her favour, yet as she scrambled backwards she continued valiantly in her attempt to fend off the feathered fiends, but it was no good, that last kick to the ribs had knocked the wind right out of her and she was still struggling to catch her breath as the Tengas grabbed her by the ankles and her wrists.

Thrashing violently, Kimberly knew she only had seconds left before they flew off and delivered her as a trophy at Lord Zedds feet

"Get off me!" she screamed but their grips only tightened "Let me go!"

Opening her mouth, Kimberly knew what she had to do; one yell of his name and this nightmare would be over. Her white knight would come to her rescue, she'd be safe… but she just couldn't do it, the events of the past week still stuck in her throat and she just couldn't bring herself to swallow them down and call for his help

Time after time she'd made a fool of herself in an attempt to provoke a reaction from Tommy, something that let her know that he felt the same way she did, but he had remained indifferent to her actions and every time he did nothing, it had planted a seed in her mind that he must _feel_ nothing

Questions and theories fought a war through her panic but still she stayed silent, why should she call for him? Why should she open herself to him and continuously show him just how much she needed him when he continuously showed her nothing?

That first afternoon, after her challenge to him had been made she had put on the white bikini that had made Tommy drool so openly and headed to the beach with him. Once there she had flirted shamelessly with a very embarrassed Billy, taking every opportunity she could to hug him or sit on his knee, even when Billys embarrassment had been glaringly obvious she continued to drape herself over him, it was as though she had become oblivious to the feelings and reactions of everyone but Tommy.

If she was honest Kim had thought that afternoon would be all it would take to provoke an appearance from the green eyed monster, surely no normal guy could watch his girl flirt with one of his best friends whilst dressed in nothing more than a bikini he knew she had bought to entice _him_ without showing some sign of jealousy, but apparently Tommy Oliver wasn't normal because he had shown nothing other than amusement at her behaviour.

As the clouds had begun to roll in, Billy quickly took the opportunity to escape from the most hideous situation he had ever found himself in and as he almost ran up the beach towards his car Tommy had thrown a towel over Kimberlys shoulders to protect her from the cold and then offered to drive her home.

For the entire drive he said nothing about the events of that afternoon and after a quick peck goodbye Kimberly had exited his jeep in a black mood whilst a determination to break the man she loved grew in her chest

But now, 7 days on, he had still shown no hint of jealousy and all that burned in Kimberly now was anger, hurt and frustration.

How could he care for her and yet not be affected by anything that she did??

How could he see her that close to a man that wasn't him and not care when just one glimpse of Katherine draped all over Tommy had been enough to turn her into a crazy woman?

Kims body fell limp in the grip of the Tengas as her mind once again flashed back to earlier that week

Even when Kimberly had warmed up at the youth centre whilst playing 'Pour Some Sugar On Me' and wearing the most provocative, flesh coloured leotard she owned Tommy had remained silent.

Every other guy in there had been openly drooling and wolf whistling whilst her own boyfriend said nothing, even when some of the guys patted him on the back and congratulated him he simply carried on with his katas, the look of amusement long gone

How could he do and say nothing?

Kim could only think of one reason and that was that he actually did feel nothing and even in her vulnerable position… when she needed to be strong, Kim felt herself weakening inside.

Tommy was her strength, he was the reason she did everything she did, succeeded the way she did, it was all to make him proud. They were a team… 2 perfect, equal sides or at least that was what she had always believed, could she have been so mistaken? Could _he_ have been so cruel?

The feel of her entire body leaving the ground as the Tengas squawked in celebration was enough to bring Kim crashing back into the here and now… time was running out- she had to act and she had to act now!

Closing her eyes, and breathing deeply, Kimberly opened her mouth to scream and as the word flew from her mouth she felt herself being thrown into the air.

Someone had come to her rescue!

Someone had seen her in serious trouble and had come rushing to save her but unfortunately for her the name that had left her lips was not the name of the man whose arms she now lay in

Stubbornness, it had been said many times was Kimberly Harts greatest character flaw and at no point in her life had that been more evident than now, because as she had opened her mouth to call for help that stubbornness had refused to let her call for Tommy, instead it had been Billys name she had cried out in anguish and now, looking up into the dark eyes of her boyfriend, the man who had come to her rescue even before she had yelled out, she couldn't have felt more ashamed.

Gone was the gentle, adoring gaze he always greeted her with and in its place, there, swimming in a sea of hurt and confusion, masked in the most heartbreaking shade of green was the jealousy that Kim had fought so hard to provoke, but as Tommy stared silently down at her for once it all became clear in her insecure teenage mind, the look in his eyes was not a measure of how much he cared for her, it was a measure of just how much she had hurt him.

_***The next chapter is definitely the last chapter and it is the conversation that this entire 'Wonder' was based around.**_

_*** Long live T/K in 2010… hope everyone had a great new year, here's to the best ff still being yet to come x**_


	6. Wonder 2: The Kat Amongst The Pigeons P4

**DISCLAIMER: I Own Nowt**

_***Finally I've brought this 'Wonder' to an end, it's taken a long time but I have to say I've really enjoyed it, in fact there were times during the writing of this chapter when I considered stretching it out to another one but I haven't. **_

_***SYuuri, you asked if this is just the end of the chapter or whether it's the end of the entire story and I think this story will go on for as long as there are things that people continue to wonder about. I don't have the next Wonder yet, but that will give me time to focus on my other stories (The next chapter of The Brutal Art… is almost finished and I have just started a new chapter of After The Storm. Also, for anyone that is reading Ten Years, I am going to take down the last chapter I wrote and write it again so be warned, things will change x)**_

_***This Wonder came from the mind of jps1926 and I hope it didn't disappoint, all other Wonders will be gratefully received by pm**_

* * *

**The Kat Amongst The Pigeons **

**Chapter 4 **

Bending down to pick up a handful of pebbles, Tommy Oliver walked to the waters edge, pulled back his arm and pelted them one by one into the sea, and as the heavy splashes broke the silent dusk air he found the urge to yell out almost too much to contain.

A weeks worth of questions pummelled Tommys mind but unfortunately they were questions he had no answers to on a subject he felt completely ignorant of and that was…girls!

Why, oh why, did girls have to be so confusing? Why did his girl have to be so confusing and more to the point, why did no one warn him about this, because if they had, maybe he would have paid more attention to those sappy movies that Kim liked to watch

As his jaw dropped open, Tommy allowed the sea air to fill his lungs and was just about to throw his frustration to the wind when he felt the self-control and discipline that drove his every move kick in.

Within a split second his jaw was clenched tightly shut and the hurt and bewilderment that had been burning in his chest were forced down and packed away into a place that let his head finally be heard over the unbearable din being made by his freshly bruised heart

Again, Kimberlys panic stricken voice cut through his memory as once more Billys name cut through his heart

She'd been in danger; she'd needed him…yet it was Billy she'd cried out for… why?

Why would she even consider taking on the Tengas by herself ?

Why would she put herself in danger like that?

Tommys blood ran cold as he shuddered at the thought of _anything_ happening to Kimberly, especially when he'd always fought so hard to keep her safe

Nothing about this week made any sense, Kimberlys behaviour had been unreasonable, it had been un-rational but more worryingly, it had been so completely unlike her, he got the feeling from her that he was supposed to know what this was all about but he didn't, and his ego couldn't help but to feel bruised by that

Stuffing his hands deep into the pockets of his blue jeans Tommy tried and failed to work out what the hell he had done that was so wrong.

Closing his eyes, Tommy took a few deep breaths and then dropped himself down onto the cool, soft sand. Sighing as though he had the weight of the world on his shoulders, he pulled his long legs up to his chest before wrapping his arms, which were left bare by the white sleeveless t-shirt he was wearing, tightly around his knees

Once… years ago, long before Angel Grove and Kimberly and this new…'complicated' life he led, Tommys dad, Sergeant Bob Oliver had attempted to have 'the talk' with him.

Bob was a man who stood 6'5 and was built like one of the tanks that he used to drive. He had been in the military since his late teens, so unsurprisingly he was a man who guarded his emotions as fiercely as he guarded his country and who had unwittingly taught his only son to do the same.

He had gone to Tommy that day on the advice of is wife and if he was being honest, he'd admit that when his son leapt to his feet in panic as he realised what his father intended to discuss with him, he couldn't have been more relieved.

Tommy and Bob had always been close, although Bobs career meant he wasn't home a lot, they'd done all of the father/son things tradition told them they should do but it had turned out that having the father/son 'talk' had been one tradition too many for the boy who had just entered his teens.

Searching frantically for an escape route, Tommy had thanked his father for taking the time to come out and talk to him and in a ramble of words he had assured him that it wasn't a conversation that they needed to have, he'd seen the films and met more than enough of his uncle Charlie's dates to get the picture, besides, he was too busy with his school work and his karate to even think about girls…

And then along came Kimberly… sweet, beautiful, passionate Kimberly

God, how Tommy wished he'd hung around long enough to hear his dads words of advice that day, he couldn't help but wonder if anything he would have said then could have helped him understand the situation he found himself in now

Shaking his head softly, Tommy silently berated himself for being so clueless when it came to girls, if only he'd spent a little bit _less_ time practising karate and a little bit _more_ time dating… but the truth of the matter was he'd never really met a girl he wanted to date before Kim.

Sure, he'd met girls that he thought were pretty and girls that seemed to be interested in him, he'd even taken a couple of them to the movies but none of them had captured his attention, or made his breath catch in his chest the way that Kimberly had that day in the school hallway. So he'd kept away from the 'dating scene', instead he'd focused all his energy on being the good kid his parents told him he should be and now he was paying for it… big time!

Resting his head on his arms, Tommy enjoyed the feel of the cool evening air as it snaked its way over his arms and around the back of his neck. Inhaling and exhaling deeply he found the tensions of the day slowly beginning to ebb away… that is until he heard the delicate sound of footsteps on the sand… footsteps that were probably soundless to all ears but his

"Please remind me never to play hide and seek with you" Even through his anger her voice still sounded as sweet as honey and it left him unable to do anything but turn to her, with confusion at her words written all over his face

"What?"

"Well I don't know if you know this but you are a really great hider" Plastering a huge smile onto her face, Kimberly held her breath as she waited in nervous silence to see whether her words had provoked any sort of smile from the confused man before her… they hadn't

Shaking his head, Tommy spared one last glance for the silent sea before releasing his legs and pushing himself to his feet and into a confrontation with his girlfriend the likes of which they'd never had

Towering above the girl that frustrated him almost as much as she captivated him, Tommy Oliver wiped the sand from his light blue jeans and then prayed that God would grant him the emotional courage that he had thus far lacked

"Tommy?" Kimberlys soft brown eyes narrowed in concern as she nibbled nervously at her bottom lip and Tommy cursed that she could effect him in such a massive way and not even be aware of it

"I'm not hiding from you Kim"

"You aren't?"

The way her eyes grew and then shone with hope caused an ache in Tommys chest as he accepted that this time it wasn't going to be that easy. He couldn't just ignore everything that had happened this week, no matter how much he wanted to protect her from the damage her behaviour had done.

She hadn't meant to hurt him, he knew that, she was trying to make a point… albeit one he didn't understand, but one thing he did understand without doubt, was when a couple had been together for as long as they had, things like this had to be faced with openness and honesty and Tommy knew that no matter how scared he was of allowing his heart to speak, he couldn't allow it to stay silent this time, not if he wanted 3 years to become forever… and man did he wanted forever with Kim!

"No… I'm not hiding from you, I'm _avoiding_ you"

"There's a difference?" Kims face was etched with apprehension as her arms wrapped nervously around the waist of her dungarees.

"Sure there's a difference. When you're 18 years old it's a little childish to 'hide' from someone, don't you think?"

"And avoiding someone is…?"

"_Justified_" Taking a step forward, Tommy pushed his hands back into his pockets and kept his gaze fixed solely on the sand moving below him.

He was close to crumbling and he knew it, one look at Kim standing before him looking so nervous and unsure, regret and concern written all over her face and he'd wanted to give her an easy way out.

He'd wanted to take her in his arms and tell her that everything was okay, he forgave her for everything she'd put him through, but he knew he couldn't do that, their relationship was too important to be built on anything other than complete trust

"Tommy…" stepping forward, Kimberly momentarily forgot about the ribs that still ached from her encounter with the tengas, but the suddenness of the movement caused her side to scream out in pain and she immediately clutched at it

"Are you okay?" the concern dripped from Tommys voice as he reached out and placed his hand over her much smaller one

Nodding silently, Kimberly bit back tears; even after everything she'd done he was still concerned for her. He was still protective of her in that gentle, unassuming way that she loved and she couldn't believe that even for one second, she'd thought that wasn't enough

Why on earth had she felt the need to go searching for some grand… _ugly_ gesture?

"Guess I should have yelled sooner huh?" She tried to smile, to make a joke of it but as Tommy pulled away his hand and began walking Kimberly found herself face to face with the damage caused by her actions and unable to contain her guilt any longer she wrapped her fingers tightly around his forearm and pulled him to a halt

"Tommy I'm so sorry…" Turning around, their eyes locked for what felt like the first time since she'd discovered his hiding place and the chemistry was undeniable, but one piece of advice his dad did have the opportunity to give him echoed through Tommys head…

He'd told him that no matter how good chemistry might feel, sometimes it just wasn't enough, sometimes it took a deeper connection to make a relationship work.

Did Tommy really have the guts to push Kim and find out just how deep their connection was?

Could he live with the consequences if he didn't?

"I don't understand what's going on Kimberly"

Shrugging, Kimberly ran her fingers up and down his forearm as though attempting to reassure him before releasing it and turning away.

Reaching down, Tommy placed his hand on the skin she had just caressed and wondered how it was possible that such an innocent gesture could feel so intense.

How could his skin still feel hot from her touch, as though she'd burned herself into his skin whilst his heart had already begun to miss her?

Yep, Kimberly Hart was in his blood stream- that was for sure, and if he was being honest with himself he had to admit that it scared him more than any evil he had ever faced because feeling so strongly about someone that you could barely think straight when they weren't around was scary stuff, especially when you'd always been raised to lead with your head not your heart.

In fact feeling so close to someone that your entire spirit almost feels tangled in them was a lot for anyone to deal with, let alone an 18 year old boy who had barely dated before let alone loved, but again dropping his eyes to the skin which still tingled from her touch a cold certainty flooded Tommys being, if he didn't find a way to open up to her, to let her into the deepest parts of him, to put into words everything that filled his heart then he ran the risk of losing Kimberly forever and he knew that if he was to ever lose her, the scars of her touch would never heal, no matter how long he lived without her she would forever be burned into his skin, her essence would forever flow through his veins

Kims voice was tiny when she next spoke, but it was so heavy with emotion that Tommy wondered how someone so small could walk with such a burden

"There's so much I want to tell you Tommy but I don't know how to do it without having you think badly of me"

"Kim…" His own voice came out as just a whisper but it begged her to turn around and she just couldn't ignore it, looking up into his eyes she recognised the desperation in them, the desire to understand when nothing seems to make sense, how she wished she truly understood what was going on herself so that she could explain it to him with clarity, but as usual she was clueless

"I was jealous" her gaze dropped away from Tommy and settled guiltily on the sand "of you and Katherine"

There, she'd said it

"Kim I thought we talked about this" and then with more hurt than she could bare… "I thought you _trusted_ me"

"I do trust you, I trust you with my life, come on Tommy, I prove that to you every single day"

"When we're in battle?"

"Of course"

" So you trust me with your life, you just don't trust me with Katherine?" The hurt was evident both on his face and in his voice and it made Kimberly wonder if she could really go through with this.

Maybe it would be better and less painful for both of them if she just apologised, promised never to let it happen again and just kept the dark truth of her actions to herself, but this was Tommy and he deserved better than half truths, no matter how hard it was

"This isn't about trust Tommy, it's not about you or anything you've done…"

"It's not about me?"

"Not really… I mean…it is, of course it is, but it's about so much more and I want to tell you I just…"

"Well first off tell me this, if it's not really about me or anything I've done, why have you been punishing me all week?"

_Punishing?_

Kim gave that word some serious thought.

Is that really what he thought she had been doing?

Punishing _him_?

Couldn't he see that this week she'd simply been punishing herself for not being everything she thought she should be?

"Tommy I…" She was just about to launch into a grovelling apology when something began to tug at her subconscious and it was something far more aggressive than anything she'd confessed to Aisha, in fact it was something she hadn't even realised she was angry about until the words hit the air

"You were supposed to be waiting for me!" The anger in her voice surprised even her as Tommys jaw dropped in surprise

"What?"

"Last Saturday, you were supposed to be waiting for _me_ not hanging out with _her_"

"Kim, we weren't hanging out, I was helping her"

"You went driving!"

"She needed help with her car and Ernie had already told me you were running late so I figured I could go help her out and be back by the time you got there"

"Oh so you were planning on doing it behind my back? Sneak out with _her_ and then sneak back to _me_ and hope I never found out?!"

"What?"

"Is that really who you are Tommy? Someone that sneaks around with another girl behind his girlfriends back?"

" Kimberly no!" Tommys striking features fell into a mask of confusion as his mouth opened but words failed to form, and then quietly he continued… "It wasn't like that, I was just trying to help her out"

"Tommy, there were probably 20 guys in the youth centre that could have helped her out and I bet none of them had dates, why did it have to be you?"

"Because she asked me" The innocence of his actions was written all over his face and it clung desperately to his words causing any anger or resentment that Kim may have held onto to suddenly evaporate as looking up into the face of her boyfriend, she allowed the same honesty and innocence to escape from her own heart

"Well why do you always have to be everybody else's hero when sometimes I just want you to be mine?"

The cock of his eyebrow told her that she already knew the answer to that question

"Well can't you ever be 'off duty?'"

Looking down at his boots, Tommy felt his cheeks reddening.

He had always tried to be the good guy; he'd thought it was the right thing to do, be there for everybody who needed him but he'd failed, because here stood the girl he loved more than anything in the world and she was asking him to just be there for her, he thought he had been but apparently she felt like she was lost amongst the crowd and that hurt

"Kim… I'm just not the type of guy that can turn someone away when they need me, I'm sorry but I can't be on duty/off duty, you know? I can just be me" Tommy took a deep breath as his heart finally summoned the courage to speak "But you have to know that there is no one that is more important to me than you"

Kimberly couldn't help the shy smile that tugged her lips apart, she wasn't used to Tommy being so open with her, she'd always hoped that he felt the same way she did but to actually hear him say what she had always hoped he felt made her heart dance in her chest as the world began to slow around her

"You know that right?"

Quietly, she answered, "Of course I do" And then with more conviction "Of course I do! Tommy I'm so sorry…" Taking both of Tommys hands in hers, Kim couldn't believe the things she had said.

When she had left the others at the youth centre and gone in search of him it had been to make things right between them, to apologise for her behaviour and to get down on her knees and beg him for forgiveness if she had to but once more she'd let her emotions get the better of her, she'd said things, accused him of things when she should have known better and from the look on his face she'd hurt him… again

"Tommy, I've been out of control this week and I've treated you so badly but I don't ever want you to apologise to me for being who you are, I know who you are" Releasing one hand she gently cupped his right cheek and then whispered "I _love_ who you are, but Tommy I'm just so confused right now"

"You're confused? Try being me"

"I can't believe the way I have behaved" running her hand over Tommy rough cheek, Kimberly squeezed the hand she still held as her eyes implored him to forgive her "How can I make this okay?"

"You can start by telling me the truth. You were jealous… okay, fine, we all get jealous sometimes but why did seeing me with Katherine hurt you so much that you had to hurt me back?"

Kim wanted to argue that she hadn't wanted to hurt him but in her heart she knew that wasn't exactly true, Tommy was right, seeing him with Kat had hurt her a lot and maybe part of her did want him to know what that felt like

Releasing his hand, Kim dropped down onto the sand and for a few seconds she sat in silence, trying to arrange her thoughts in an order that Tommy would understand and just as he lowered himself next to her she finally found her voice

"I never really thought of myself as the jealous type, I mean look how well I handled the whole 'cheerleader incident'"

Tommy said nothing, he just nodded his agreement and understood that there weren't many girls who would have taken their boyfriend being invited to a dance by the entire cheerleading squad as well as Kim had.

He had expected drama, she hadn't given him any… maybe this whole Katherine thing was karma biting him on the ass

"This week has just about been the worst of my life and I don't know why but…ever since I saw you with Katherine, I guess I've kind of been freaking out" Kimberly laced her fingers over her knees as she stared out at the calm water before her

"But I just don't understand why though, it's not like I've ever given you a reason to think that I would do anything behind your back"

"Tommy it's not you, it's Katherine. I know she's a really nice girl and I know everyone likes her a lot, God, if I wasn't losing my mind the way I am, I'd probably like her a lot, and if it had been anyone else with you in that car I probably wouldn't have given it another thought but when I saw her that day, clinging on to you… saying your name…" Kimberly shook her head gently as though attempting to shake the memory from her mind "One second I was so terrified that something terrible was going to happen to you and then the next it was just like everything I'd ever feared was happening to me"

"What do you mean?"

"Just after my father left us, my mum went to a pretty dark place. For the first year or so she was a total wreck. She tried to be strong, you know, for me and my brother but sometimes I would find her just sitting there on our porch, staring into space with tears running down her face and she would look me dead in the eye and tell me to never to fall in love and believe I was truly happy with a man, she told me to always believe that he could and would walk out at any second… to always be prepared for it, no matter how many times he tells you that he won't"

"Kim, I'm not your dad"

"I know you aren't, but you met Sandi right? After parents day, back at my house. My dad brought her by to meet Cal and I"

Tommy searched his infamously bad memory for the woman she was talking about.

Sandi?

He remembered the day she was talking about for sure; he remembered how terrified he'd been to finally be introduced to Kims family and how proud he'd felt when she had introduced him as her boyfriend… but Sandi?

He remembered walking back to Kims house with her and her mother, he remembered drinking ice tea on the balcony as Kims mum asked him about himself and his family and then he remembered chaos.

A mustang pulling up to the house and Kims dad stepping out and then…

Like a bolt of lightening things began to make sense

"S-sure, I remember Sandi"

"Remind you of anyone?"

He remembered her long legs stepping out of the car and the way her curvaceous body had been accentuated by a tight fitting dress and her shoulder length blond hair and her accent…

"Was she Australian?"

"Was she Australian? Tommy, she was Katherine only ten years older!!"

Things were becoming a lot more clear to Tommy and for once Kimberlys over reaction was beginning to actually make sense because the woman that she had seen with him when she had thought that he was alone was the spitting image of the woman that had ripped her family apart

"Kim…"

"My mum told me that girls like me always come second to girls like Kat and I guess all this week I've believed that"

"Well your mum was wrong" Turning in the sand, Tommy reached out and held Kims shoulder as the dying sun illuminated her profile "Kim you will never be second to anyone…" Kimberlys eyes, glistening with tears locked onto his as he ran his fingers down the back of her arm and then back up to rest on her shoulder as he whispered "Not to me"

Reaching over, Tommy hooked an arm under Kims legs and pulled her around until she was facing him and then ran a hand over her glossy hair and smiled, if there had ever been a right time for his heart to let its self be heard it was now, and looking into Kims damp eyes he was surprised to find that his fear of opening up was gone

Taking her hand in his he couldn't help but return the small smile that was growing on her lips

"You know Kim, none of this comes easy to me"

"Do you mean us?"

"Before I met you my life was pretty much just me and my karate… pretty pathetic I know but…"

"Tommy it's not pathetic…"

"Please, let me finish because if I don't say this now I don't know when I'll next be brave enough to"

"Sorry"

"My family always moved around a lot, with my dads job it just became a way of life. I'd do a year at a school and then we'd be gone but I never minded, you know? I learned not to put down roots or become too attached to anything or anyone at a pretty young age so it never really bothered me. I had my karate and that seemed like all I needed, but I guess I was kind of living like a hermit crab it's shell, that's until you came busting into my life. When we met I wasn't looking for a girlfriend or anything but it felt like you yanked me from my shell and threw me into this big scary thing called life and you just expected me to know what to do with it and I'm sorry if I disappoint you sometimes but I just… I sometimes don't know what to do with ant of it, especially not us, you have provoked all of this _stuff_ in me and a lot of the time I just don't know how to react to it"

Releasing Kims hands, Tommy wiped his palms on his jeans and took a deep breath as he tried to slow the heart that was racing out of control in chest.

He was struggling, Kim could see it but he was determined to go on and just when Kim thought it wasn't possible, she found herself falling even deeper for him

"I'm sorry… I guess I'm nervous, what a wimp huh?"

"No you're not, you're the most courageous man I've ever met"

"Do you know how many times I've just about lost it this week?"

"But you didn't, you dealt with everything I threw at you this week with dignity, just like you deal with everything"

"Just because I didn't show that I was jealous doesn't mean I didn't feel it, and that goes for a lot of stuff with me Kim, just because I don't say that I feel something doesn't mean that I don't feel it. This whole, opening up, and talking about your feelings, it's difficult for me; in my family we just don't do it. We feel it, we deal with it and then we move on from it but we never talk about it"

"Well if it makes you feel better, I think you're doing really well, you're leaving me speechless that's for sure and it's probably a first too, usually it's you that has the long, brooding silences"

"Kim, do you realise that if I'm quiet when we're together it's because sometimes, when I'm with you, I can barely breathe let alone talk? I… you know, I…I might struggle to say it but I do… feel it "

"Feel what Tommy?"

"Love… for you, I…"

"Yes?"

"Kim I…" Reaching out a hand, Tommy ran his trembling fingers through Kimberlys toffee coloured hair in an attempt to steady himself, and the way her face lit up at just the slightest of touches from him, gave him the courage to go all the way

"I love you Kimberly"

As the world slowly ground to a halt and everything that surrounded her fell away, Kimberly found herself unable to catch her breath.

Did he really just say that?

Closing her eyes, Kimberly let the words replay over and over in her mind before they began to seep through every inch of her and then imprinted themselves on her heart

"Well? Kimberly?" The sound of her boyfriend saying her name snapped her back to the here and now as she heaved a massive breath into her chest and then threw herself forward into his arms

"Tommy, I can't believe you just said that"

Grinning, he wrapped his arms around her and breathed a huge sigh of relief

"Yeah? Well I can't believe you said nothing… again!"

"You wanted me to speak? Tommy I was just about hyperventilating over there, oh my God, I can't believe how sweet you are"

"And?" His chocolate brown eyes looked huge in the suns dying light and they sparkled with anticipation and also a hint of fear

"And… I love you too, I've always loved you, ever since that first day in the youth centre" After pressing a long kiss to his cheek, Kimberly finally released him and sat back on the sand and stared at the man before her.

Before today she hadn't thought it was possible to love anyone more than she loved Tommy and yet here she was, looking into his eyes like she'd never seen him before, talking to him like she'd never talked before as her heart fell deeper for him than it ever had before

Tommy Oliver was definitely the man for her, he was the only man that she would ever love… that she was sure of, he was the man she would marry and the man that her children would call 'dad' and that thought sent chills down her spine.

She might be young but she had no doubt in her mind that for her… Tommy was it, the 'one' and she was so grateful that they had found each other now, rather than living for all those long lonely years without one another

Yes, marriage and babies might be a long way in the future and she was sure they'd have a few more hurdles to cross before they got there but another big step lay just before them, it was something that they had both acknowledged last week, but they hadn't acted on it, and Kimberly couldn't help but to feel the time to 'act' was almost upon them.

"You look like you've had a hell of a day"

"A hell of a day? Kim, I've had a hell of a week, but it's over now… right?"

"Of course, but you can tell me you love me again if you like"

"Again? Kim, I think one declaration of love is enough for one day, besides the sweaty palms, the racing heart and the burning face… it doesn't do much for my 'all powerful ninja' image does it?" there was nothing more sincere in the world than the laugh they shared at that

Leaning back on his hands, Tommy kicked out his legs and smiled up at the evening sky.

Life didn't get any better than this, just him and Kimberly… alone, surrounded by blissful silence, no monsters, no chaos… just them. Closing his eyes he silently thanked Rita and Zedd for allowing them this moment, especially since they'd ruined so many for the young couple in the past

"I can't believe you were so nervous, Tommy we've been dating for almost 3 years"

"True" Glancing at her out of the corner of his eye, a mischievous grin began to tug at his lips "But you've only been crazy for one week and I got to tell you it takes a little getting used to"

"Oh… you think I'm crazy huh?"

"You have to admit that you have been acting a little crazy"

"Tommy…"The mischievous smile that had been dancing on Tommys lips was now mirrored on her own, as she pushed herself to her feet, and prayed for the courage to see this through "Believe me, you haven't seen me crazy yet" Winking down at him, her fingers moved to the first strap of her dungarees and as she released it and let it drop open she couldn't help but laugh as Tommy let out a comical 'gulp'

"Kim… what are you doing?" Looking around nervously, Tommy apprehensively pushed himself up into a sitting position as his heart once again began to bang against his rib cage. He'd only seen that look on Kims face a few times before, but he knew it well enough to know it meant trouble

"I'm not doing anything Tommy… just being little crazy old me, but I do have to tell you this, the sea in 'Crazy-Ville' really does look good enough to swim in tonight" Kimberly slowly undid the other buckle of her dungarees as she fought to contain the giggle that was growing in her chest as the colour slowly drained from her boyfriends face

"You're kidding… right?"

"If I was kidding would I really be wearing this?"

Reaching down, Kims fingers nervously gripped hold of the bottom of her t-shirt.

No part of what she was about to do had been planned; yes, it felt right after everything that had been said and done to push their relationship into this new… uncharted territory but she was scared.

She didn't want to come on so strong that she scared Tommy off but they'd been together for a long time now and as with so many things in their relationship she was going to have to take the lead, if their relationship was to move forward

Pulling a breath and hopefully a lot of courage deep into her lungs, Kimberly quickly yanked the thin material of her pale pink t-shirt up over her head and with a slight wiggle of her hips, her dungarees slowly freed themselves and slid down to pool at her ankles

The look of shock on Tommys face was worth any humiliation she had coming as she stood there, with her t-shirt in her hands and her dungarees tangled around her feet, wearing the white bikini with pink love hearts that had caused Tommy to visibly drool when she had shown it to him last week.

A lot may have changed during this past week but she was pleased to see that the effect of the bikini was not one of them because the colour that had disappeared from his cheeks seconds earlier was now flooding back as he struggled to maintain eye contact

"So?"

"So if you go in there dressed like that you're really going to freeze"

Kimberly couldn't help the way her face fell in disappointment at his response but thankfully his greedy gaze told her everything that his shy tongue could not so she decided to forge ahead anyways

"Well if you really think it's going to be that cold, I guess you'd better come in with me and keep me warm" she used the well placed nibble on her bottom lip that she knew drove him crazy as a full stop and then waited for his response

How brave was Tommy Oliver feeling tonight?

"I'm not coming in there Kim"

Apparently not very

"Oh you aren't?"

A shake of the head was his silent response, but the way his tongue swept back and forth over his cherry red lips signalled that he might be swayed on that and Kim had just the way to sway him

"But Tommy, what if you're right? What if it is too cold? What if I get into difficulties? What if I need…" Allowing her eyebrows to rise and fall, she gave half a smile before finishing her sentence in her most sultry voice "_Rescuing_?"

"Gee, I don't know Kim, I guess you'd better call for Billy"

Putting her hands on her hips, Kim tipped her head to one side and then pouted

"Oh you're a funny guy"

"And you're a crazy girl"

"Well I guess that makes us perfect for each other then doesn't it?"

Tommys proud grin at that was like a starter pistol going off in her brain.

She was really going to do this… On a darkened beach, dressed only in a bikini, she was really going to attempt to seduce her super sweet, but super shy boyfriend… and if she wasn't mistaken, the way his gaze kept trailing up and down her body was telling her that he wanted her to

"Tommy…"Moving slowly, she began to back away "I am going in there, and I really, really, want you to join me, but if you don't want to, if you'd rather sit here all on your own, being Mr. Sensible instead of having fun with me then I understand" Before Tommy had the chance to respond, Kimberly had turned, quick as a flash and headed into the sea and as the cool water hit her she couldn't help but squeal

"Kim?" Jumping to his feet, Tommy made it up just in time to see Kimberly dive under the waves, before she returned to the surface and began paddling around

"Hey Tommy you were right, it's really cold in here, and a girl could definitely get into difficulties if she didn't have her very own Power Ranger to keep her safe" Splashing around she couldn't help but to giggle at her own silliness.

Could she really lure him into the water and convince him to partake in her plan this way?

She was about to find out…

"I don't know how long I can swim in this Tommy"

"Then get out!" glancing up and down the deserted beach, Tommy found himself weighing up the pros and cons of joining Kimberly in this crazy game of hers, the way she giggled between her faked calls for help were quickly adding to the already substantial 'pros' list

"Tommy, I'm really getting tired out here" and then as dramatically as she could without bursting into fits of laughter she yelled… "Tommy! I can't hold on!"

"Come on Kim don't be silly"

"I'm getting weaker Tommy… you'd better come and get me"

Looking up and down the beach again, Tommy found his fingers were already fumbling, subconsciously with the buckle on his belt.

What was he so scared of?

It was only swimming and he'd been swimming with Kim a million times before. Sure he'd never been swimming with her at nighttime and yes she usually wore a one-piece bathing suit not a skimpy little bikini but so what? She was his girlfriend… they were adults… almost, besides, wasn't he being a little presumptuous in thinking Kim wanted anything other than to actually swim? Of course he was, he was just being a total 'guy' by thinking everything had to be about _that, _but the way Kim had spoken to him… the way she'd looked at him… was she thinking what he was thinking?

"Tommy… please help me!"

…He was about to find out!

In a split second Tommy had ripped off his t-shirt and flung it down onto the cold sand before undoing his belt, and attempting to kick his trousers off without falling over them, it took two unsuccessful tries before he remembered he was still wearing his boots so he dropped down onto the sand and attempted to heave them off without unfastening the laces. It was a tough battle but one that Tommy eventually won and after throwing his shoes into the air in celebration he pushed himself to his feet and then ran down to the waters edge

Glancing down at his black boxer shorts, Tommy momentarily considered backing out but he'd come too far today to give in to cowardice now… hadn't he?

He'd opened himself up and lain all of his weakness out before the very person he had always tried to hide them from. He'd said the three little words that had always put the fear of God into his heart; now all he had to do step into the water… was he really ready to take that step and see where tonight led him?

…Damn right he was!


End file.
